Fused Kingdoms
by RiderlessWolf
Summary: Link struggles with Midna's unexplained departure, trying to put his old life back together. But just as a plot to undermine the Royal Family is put into play, Link must investigate a whisper of a more pressing issue: a weakened, but surviving Ganondorf.
1. Prologue: A Remembrance

**Prologue: A Remembrance **

_And to think... It's been a mere few months. For the similarity between my story and the other legendary Link, the Hero of Time, we seem to have rather different final chapters. I mean, we've even been to many of the same places, carried the same sword, bared same name... yet, he left Hyrule and fell into obscurity, but here I remain. And here I will probably remain till I die, a day which I almost relish._

_A few mere months... if only it felt that way. Instead, it feels as though years have gone by; but when I remember her, it feels like yesterday. Then with a "see you later," she was gone. "See you later..." I knew what she wanted to say. I wanted to say it too. I guess you feel like you have all the time in the world. Until you see your world shatter, and the grains become as ordinary sand grains in a desert, in a prison._

A cold breeze flung flakes of snow down Link's collar, stirring him from his brooding. He turned his head, scanning the land before him. Mounds of snow, tall as a man and wider, dotted the land. And for each mound was a pair of recruits, either fortifying their mound, or taking a meal break. One of these recruits made his way towards Link.

"Sir," he began with a title that made Link wince slightly, "a few of us were wondering, and, well, I guess I drew the short straw to be the one to ask, if you don't mind my saying so," the recruit made little effort to hide how nervous he was to talk to Link directly, "I was just, I mean, we were just wondering why we are receiving this sort of training. It's just that, well, back at the castle, we seldom even see any snow..."

Link told the young recruit the same well rehearsed line he had given Zelda concerning the purpose for an obviously meaningless training expedition: "Life is full of surprises, and you never know what tomorrow will bring. So you need to be prepared for anything, and a full compliment of experiences and training will help you survive whatever may come your way. Much of this training may seem meaningless, but I assure you, at the very least you will become the most disciplined, resilient, courageous army this world has ever seen." On a less practised note, he continued, "as for teaching you how to survive in this weather in-particular, just consider yourselves fortunate that you have someone to show you how it's done. I can't tell you how miserable it was to climb Snowpeak without having ever seen snow before."

The recruit was unsure of how to respond to such an answer, so Link continued, "What's your name, by the way?"

"It's Shen, sir," making Link wince again.

"Well then, Shen, is your quinzhee ready to be dug out?"

"Nearly, yes. Layrou was just finishing up with making the mound big enough when I came over."

"I won't keep you then. You may go." Link watched Shen bow slightly to him and return to his snow shelter, immediately taking to hollowing it out. Through experience, Link knew that the quizhee needs to sit for a few hours before you dig it out, otherwise it will cave in unexpectedly. But Link thought better of telling Shen this fact. _The burnt hand learns best,_ he told himself.

That evening, when all the soldiers-to-be had created their shelter and were at some point in the process of dining, Link snuck away from the camp for the real reason he took the training expedition this far into the mountains. He fetched a small dirty cloth from his modest rucksack and took off farther up the mountain, alone.

Finally, he reached the western ledge of the mountain, where the familiar stone monument was with the holes through it. The wind blew harder up here than it did down below, and as the wind made slight shifts in direction, it caught different holes and pits in the stone, each whistling its own note.

One of these holes Link stuffed with his dirty cloth, and from it he unwrapped an elongated black crystal upon which orange runes radiated. He had been learning to control the power of his own triforce, and now he used it to protect himself from the magic of the shadow crystal before he was ready as he held it in his bare hand.

He crouched on his feet in front of the stone, mimicking the way a dog sat as best he could, and let the crystal release its magic. Bones lengthened while others shrank, hair sprouted where it generally wasn't and thickened where it was, joints rotated, muscles adapted, and his clothing disappeared. The crystal receded into his body. All this happened in seconds. What took longer to notice was the acute change in his senses. He could vaguely hear the soldiers below where before all he heard was the wind, he could smell that the recent presence of the Yetis now and see the details of the rocks and the path from further off. But what he paid attention to was the sun falling behind the horizon.

"_The twilight there holds a serene beauty...You have seen it yourself as the sun sets on this world. Bathed in that light, all the people were pure and gentle...__"_

He watched as the setting sun cast the sky into fading hues. Reds, oranges and yellows streaked the sky in the west, gradually darkening with the rest of the sky, till a dim purple was all that was left, and soon, it too was done. The innumerable white lights dotted the sky as the last signs of the sun disappeared, and into the night he howled in hidden anguish.

Link tried to make out the figures and legends people told him were recorded in the heavens. Link tried to see the curves of the autumn constellation, Volvagia the Dragon, but lacked the imagination to make it out.

He took instead to imagining new stories in the stars. The supposed tail of Volvagia became one horn of the Fused Shadow. And there, in the southern sky, was the Sacred Beast. For the Twilight Princess, he decided to wait for some months, so that he may immortalize her in another part of the sky, but a part forever bound to the other.

He remembered her in her resurrected body, and knew he'd find a place in the sky for her like that, so that she maybe remembered as being beautiful, not cursed. For Ganondorf, he remembered the image of shock and horror, when right after the blade of the master sword pierced his body and he fell to his knees — that was the image of the King of Evil that Link wanted to be in the legends, even if it didn't kill him.

Link watched the stars move through the sky for sometime before drifting into sleep in the snow. He was grateful for the thick fur that kept him warm in the snow.

Link arose before the sun, a habit Link had learn in the stresses of his journey. He saw the Sacred Beast chase the dying Ganondorf below the horizon and laughed to himself.

"Sleep well?"

Link turned to see the ethereal golden wolf approach, and responded, half questioningly, half relieved, "You found him..."

"He took refuge in an old Gerudo temple. Ready to finish this?"

"You're the one that has to die if we win... Are you?"


	2. Four Months Ago

**Chapter 1: Four Months Ago**

The platform faded as the fragments of the mirror settled into the sand... She was gone. Even though Zelda already suspected Midna wanted severe the connection between worlds, she wasn't expecting it to be done so suddenly, so abruptly, without so much as a good-bye.

And Link... he didn't understand. He stared at the mirror, doubting what he saw could have actually happened. He watched the Void Stone, half expecting Midna to reappear, as if this was all another prank of hers. The longer he waited, the more he began to realize she wasn't coming back, and could never come back again. As reality set in, he fell to his knees.

Link's fall caught Zelda's attention, and it occurred to her what Link must be going through. She rushed to his side and pulled him into an embrace to comfort him.

He stared at the obsidian monolith, saying softly, "I don't get it..."

Zelda didn't have any experience in comforting people during emotional hardships. Her entire life had been an exercise in restraint and control, and her late parents saw that she never formed a close companionship with any of her 'subjects,' as her mother put it.

Nevertheless, she not only felt that she owed it to Link to do what she could for him, but she genuinely wanted to, as she regarded him and Midna as her only real friends. "She did what she thought she had to do, Link," she said.

"But... she didn't say anything," said Link. "How could she just...leave like that?"

"I don't know Link," Zelda answered, "I don't. But it wasn't easy for her. Perhaps that's why she didn't say anything."

"Not easy for her? Looked easy enough for her from where I stood." Link's voice took an edge of bitterness that concerned Zelda.

"It wasn't easy at all, Link," Zelda tried to calm him. "I think she figured that if she took the time to explain it to us, she might have lost the nerve to do what she did. I don't know if even she had fully known what she was going to do."

Link muttered, bitterly and sarcastically, "Goddesses forbid she leaves a way for the people she used to ever see her again..."

"Link, don't be so harsh, don't confuse being hurt for being betrayed." Zelda didn't know if letting Link be angry at Midna for the wrong reasons would be better than making him realize the truth. "If there's one thing I learned about her when I shared her body, it's that she cared, about you, about us all, and about her people."

"She had a funny way of showing it," Link retorted.

"She felt she needed to protect herself, like it seems you're doing now." Even though she was trying to comfort Link, she still didn't care to anyone talk bitterly about Midna. "She hated her cursed form more than anything, and on top of that, she lost her kingdom and was forced into exile. She acted the way she did to keep from getting close to anything... or anyone."

"Well," Link said, "she did a damn fine job of that if you ask me."

"Link..." Zelda began, but was interrupted.

"Please Princess," he said, "I just want to be left alone for a moment."

Zelda stood up to leave, feeling inadequate as a friend, saying "If there's anything you need, please Link, please ask me. I hate to see you like this." She put a hand on his shoulder, "I'll see you tonight down at camp, Okay?"

When Zelda received no response, she left Link and returned to the camp located at the feet of Arbiters Grounds. When her footsteps finally faded, Link said softly, "No you won't."

For the first in seven months, Link had no sense of urgency, no pressing business to attend to. Everything was finished. He didn't know where to go: He knew he didn't want to go to Castle Town as he knew he couldn't handle being the center of attention, especially now; He didn't want to go back home to Ordon because it just didn't feel like home anymore, and because he'd draw a lot of attention there too.

Ultimately, Link realized that regardless of where he went, everyone's eyes would be on him, and right now he just wanted to think, alone. So he picked himself up off the ground, dusted himself off, and left the Mirror Chamber.

Zelda didn't fuss over the matter that Link didn't return to the camp that night. She figured that he might end up falling asleep up there, and when she saw that he hadn't returned to his tent, she thought her guess was right, so she took some of the shabby breakfast her royal guards and prepared up to the Mirror Chamber for Link.

When she didn't find him, she felt pretty worried about Link, but as she walked around the chamber looking for him she calmed down enough to realize that this is what he meant by wanting to be alone.

Zelda returned to the camp and informed the guards to pack up and that the caravan was to leave as soon as possible; Zelda was certain that she would have things to take care of as soon as she was back in Castle Town.

The Captain of the Guards, and indeed the highest ranking military man left in the entirety of Hyrule after the Twilight Invasion, Captain Mikel, commented on Link's absence as the caravan was about to depart. Zelda merely gave a brief statement that Link was returning separately as he had things he needed to see to here.

* * *

Link wandered aimlessly, not knowing how to fill the hole in his life now. Not only had Midna left, but his old life held no appeal to him anymore. He had seen the country, he had explored places no one had been in who knows how long; as far back as he could remember, he had never left Ordon, and now he found himself with no interest in returning.

All he had ever known was herding goats and maintaining a ranch, and such a small world was enough for him then. He had a job, a future, a horse, a girl... The thought of Ilia gave Link a pang of guilt. He was happy with her once, but now he dread that he might see her one day and have to tell her that he doesn't care for her like he used to.

His world had gotten so much larger since then, and he knew there was no way to forget everything he had seen, the good and the bad, and return to his old life.

Purposelessly, Link went north on foot. At the same time, Zelda and her guards returned to Hyrule via the roads Zelda had ordered built as soon as she returned to power, as she had hoped for a fruitful relationship with the Twili tribe would come of this.

It took her three days to get back to Castle Town and to the Inn she had leased all of until a section of the Castle was made inhabitable again. Everyone of power was staying there too: Princess Zelda, regent over Hyrule; Prince Ralis, regent of the Zora; Patriarch Darbus, regent of the Gorons; Captain Mikel, current commander of the Hylian military; Duke Harled, governor of Castle Town; and the four Counts of the four Provinces.

The Counts had spent the few weeks since Ganondorf's defeat assessing their own provinces, the damages to their towns and villages, and the overall disorder, and the Duke had been doing much the same thing with his city.

The evening after Zelda returned to Castle Town, the held the first of many meeting to come concerning the restoration of Hyrule. Their first order of business was to just figure out what had actually happened over the past several months. Zelda knew the more of the surrounding events as she was the only one to be directly involved, be the little information that she had wasn't enough.

They spent the evening piecing together what information they had, and figuring out what they needed to know. The next day was spent interrogating anyone with known involvement in the events, and much of the time dedicated to the interviews was with the members of The Resistance. But the more they learned, the more they realized how little they knew.

Naturally their questions turned to Link and his whereabouts so that they may question him directly. The council found Zelda's explanation of Link's feeling of detachment and preoccupancy to be less than satisfactory, but there was nothing to be done about it. The investigation was therefore put on hold so that each member could research further into what had happened in their corresponding domains.

As the bulk of her hereditary duty was to organize and guide the efforts between all the regents of the land, Zelda had no pressing matters at the time as the council hadn't come to any conclusion. She had the preliminary reports from the Counts, and she would review them before the council recommenced, but until then, she was able to attend to her work at a more leisurely rate.

The next few days she spent rummaging through the debris of the castle, appraising the treasury, composing a mental list of positions that needed to be filled due to incidental deaths of the previous occupant. Basically, she was doing everything she generally didn't have to, and thinking of someone who could be doing it.

* * *

Gradually, the dry sand of the desert gave way to plant life, scarce at first, but by the evening after he left the Mirror Chamber Link came upon a stream from which he could drink. By nightfall the sand dunes had turned into green hills, and the trees seemed to grow closer together with each new hill. At every hilltop, he could see Snowpeak rising in the distance, the bright sheen of the snow making it seem to glow in the moonlight as the sun sank.

As a goat herder, Link had a small knowledge of foraging and trapping, and with spending much of the last year in the wild he had plenty of opportunity to practice and expand on these skills, thus was he able to find sustenance in his solitude.

For five days he wandered north. Link had never been to this part of the country before, but he found it to be rather serene. It became as densely forested as Ordon, but lacked the rough gorged terrain, instead finding it slightly rippled, like a gently disturbed puddle. Of all the landscapes in Hyrule, he thought this one just might be his favorite.

On the sixth day, Link came upon what appeared to be a cart path. He knew there were many villages dotting the country besides Ordon, but the only one he had ever been too was Kakariko. He debated going to see the town this path lead to, but while thinking about how he'd explain who he is and where he's from and why he came, he realized that he'd rather see his friends again before he met strangers.

Midna was still first and foremost in Link's mind, as was his sense of grief and loss, but in his isolation, he was learning to deal with it, to control his grief. Because of this, and that his isolation only made his pervasive feeling of meaninglessness worse, he decided to find some familiar faces. Link turned east, to Castle Town.

* * *

"Your Highness, I'm glad you could come," Duke Harled said. "I have been hearing things that I find most troubling, and concern you." Zelda stood in the foyer of the Duke's townhouse as his servant closed the door behind her. "Please, this way," he said as he gestured her into another room.

Once they were seated, he began, "There's no easy way to this, so I hope you will forgive me for being blunt. There seems to be something of disturbance amongst the townsfolk about you. The people are concerned about how you chose to surrender to an invading force, when an serf from a little known town on the outskirts of the country fought back and restored our world."

"I appreciate your concern, Harled, I have felt the unease of the people of this town whenever I'm about. In fact, this is a big part of the reason I wanted this investigation about the events of the last year to begin so recently. The people need to know what happened and why I did what I did."

"That's my concern, Princess. It is mostly a story about how this peasant fought all the demons we faced by himself, and while the rest of us, including you, stood idly by. I think telling the story as it is would cast all of us in a poor light."

Zelda's voice took a harsher tone, saying, "I am not about to lie to my people, Harled, to make you and I look better. Many of those people out there have had family members killed! The least they deserve is the truth."

Harled felt embarrassed as he heard Zelda's righteous words, but he tried to delude her judgement by coming back with, "Of course, Your Highness. What I mean is that no one has seen Link in nearly two weeks. The denizens would be much more contented with our report if he was to be there himself, alongside you, so they could see that he is loyal to you."

Zelda knew he was trying to cover for himself, but didn't make anything of it. "Indeed it would be better if he was there, but as you said, no one has seen him. If he returns, I'm confident that I'll be one of the people he finds, and I'll take it up with him then. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a prior engagement I must attend to."

"Yes, Princess," Harled said as he stood up in response to her standing up. "As always, it has been a pleasure to see you."

Zelda curtly stood up and left, going back to her room at the inn. She had to start reviewing the different proposals by different contractors to start work on the Castle, which meant she had to start allocating the treasury too see how much work could actually be afforded at the present time, which meant she had to start drafting a new tax proposal, which meant she needed a new population census...

Zelda was so distracted in thought by the time she got to her room that she hardly even noticed that she wasn't alone. When she finally noticed him slouched in a chair by the fire, she let out a shriek of surprise. Heart palpitating, she sat down on her bed.

"Sounds like you've got quite a problem on your hands, Princess," Link commented from atop the desk. He actually hadn't been there long...or at least, he didn't think he had been there long. Truth be told, the closest thing to a sense of time he had in his condition was the amount of liquid left in a translucent brown bottle next to him, but if anything, that just made it harder to keep track of time.

"How did you know? I thought you had left the country," Zelda responded, as she noticed a particular scent in the air. Something familiar, but it wasn't something she had too much experience with herself. She strained her memory to determine where she knew that bitter odor.

"I might have left briefly. I don't really know the exact boundaries of Hyrule out west. But I found sulking about only made me feel worse. Misery loves company, or so I'm told, and you look pretty miserable right now." Link added with a smile, "Besides, I found something here that makes me feel much better."

"Oh really? I do hope you'll share your secret, Link." Zelda was being sarcastic, as she had by now figured out what the odor was. It was the same 'comfort' her soldiers took part in many nights after being relieved from their post. It was this comfort that could smell it on the Hero's breath from halfway across the room.

"Whiskey," Link answered. "The bar was the first place I stopped by."

Zelda shook her head in disappointment, before reminding herself that he has more right to self destructive habits then anyone else. Nevertheless she reminded him, "You know, by the law, your still to young to drink high proof spirits."

"And remind me how it came to be that this country's laws actually mean something again?" Link didn't care what the law was. If they wanted to arrest him for saving their asses and trying to drown a few particular memories he acquired while doing so, it was fine by him.

"So, in other words Link, you saved Hyrule so you could live outside it's laws?" Zelda said that with a scornful tone, but immediately regretted it. He wasn't being enough of a jerk for Zelda to not feel pity for him. "I'm sorry, Link. You have every right to do as you see fit. Do want anything to eat? I myself haven't eaten yet, so I could call for one of the cooks."

"I think I'll take you up on that offer; I've heard drinking on an empty stomach is a bad idea. And no, that is not why I saved your kingdom."

Food was called for and brought. Link himself hadn't eaten a substantial meal since they had all left for the mirror chamber, which to the best of his recollection was close to three weeks ago. As a result, the conversation was pretty nonexistent during the meal. But as soon as he finished, Zelda was ready to talk.

"So Link," Zelda began, as she delicately wiped her mouth clear of any remaining hint of food, in a manner very fitting for royalty, "if you don't mind my asking, where did you go after you left the mirror chamber?"

Link left the chair he was sitting on and sat on the rug with his back against the wall so he could straighten his legs for a while. "Nowhere interesting. After you left the chamber, I began to realize how futile it was to sit in front of the mirror, and how painful it was to concentrate on that one memory. So I left. I wanted to go somewhere that I'd never been, somewhere new, where nothing would remind me of anything. I went north for about a week, then I turned east and found myself back at Castle Town. I actually got back a few days ago, but I've been staying at the bar.

"That's when I filled in the members of The Resistance, or at least, the members who were present at the time, on everything that had happened over the last few months. There were a few things I left out, like my ability to transform and...my companion...but they had helped me along the way, so I felt I owed it to them. Telma had no hesitation keeping my mug topped off, and she was kind enough to let me stay in the back room for a few days. This is the first time I've left the bar since I've been back."

"So that explains the half-full glass bottle you've been carrying around. Link, you really should take it easy."

Link slowly stood up, grasping the desk for balance, as he deliberately used all four of his limbs to climb on top of the desk to sit down. "So what about you, Princess. How goes the ruling of your kingdom."

"Well, as you already mentioned, there is a little bit of a problem. The towns people aren't as oblivious as they make themselves out to be. Between dangerous creatures lurking just outside the city walls, wolves running through the city streets, the castle becoming a imprisoned in a magical barrier, and the complete lack of communication with the outer provinces, the general population had grown uneasy, to say the least. The Council of Nobles and I agreed that the best course of action was to tell the truth to the people about everything I knew. And while I intentionally left out the part about you being a wolf, I did feel the need to inform the council of Midna's involvement, so you may find yourself needing to fill in Telma and her friends about her.

"The problem though, is that I wasn't very involved in your adventure, so the Council's findings are rather...incomplete. We will be reconvening probably later in the week when the Counts get back into town, and we could really use your account of what happened. I won't order this of you Link, both as a courtesy for what you've done and because I feel I have no right to do so, but doing so will help give the kingdom you fought to save some much needed stability"

Link took a moment to respond, staring into the bottom of the now empty mug that came with his dinner. "Sorry, Princess, but the Kingdom isn't exactly what I fought for."

Zelda was now more confused then ever by the hero. "But, then, what exactly did you fight for? If not for the Kingdom, and not for special privileges, what?"

Link was reluctant to respond. Instead, he retrieved his whisky and poured some into his gmug. He raise the mug to his lips and left it there till he had thoroughly drained it. In silence, he waited until his stomach began to feel warm to the new intake of liquor. "I did it for her.

"I hated her at first... The way she used me to get those shadows. The manipulation through fear of what might happen the the children of the village and Ilia, her act of taking their forms and taunting me. But I needed her to find them, and she needed me to retrieve the shadows, so we put up with each other. But as careful as she was, she occasionally let her guard down and said something that made it almost seem like she cared. When we found the kids and Ilia wasn't amongst them, I could here her curse in hew own language. When we came across Zora's Domain all frozen over, there was no hiding the look of shock and grief on her face.

"I figured I could put up with the bossiness and sarcasm for her for the same reason you just decided to put up with my drunkenness. She was miserable about something, and as you said in the Mirror Chamber, she acted the way she did to protect herself.

"Ironically, the day she finally showed that she cared about someone other then herself was the day she almost died." Link paused as he felt himself lose some composure at the particularly painful memory. He poured more spirits into his mug drank a little from the top. It seemed to help a little, as he soon resumed his story.

"That was the second worst day of my life. Matched only by the day she was actually killed by..._him_." He fought bitterly to hold back his tears at this point Link finished off what was left in his mug, his bottle now nearly empty. "Zant threw me against the wall, and turned my gift, my lucky ability to become a beast in the twilight rather then a useless spirit, into a curse. She escaped his grasp and rushed over to me, cuddled my head and whispered '_Link...'_ My vision was blurred from my head being thrown into a rock, but I swear I could see her crying."

He poured the last of his bottle into his mug and held it, staring into the bottom. "Then I don't know what happened. My head was spinning from being slammed into a rock wall, and I couldn't even keep my eyes open, let alone focus them on what was happening around me. I heard her growl, then yell, then the cavern became so bright my eyes burned though their lids we closed, and she led out a piercing scream. Of everything I had ever seen or heard in the last few months, I don't think anything will ever match that scream. As incapacitated and beaten as I was, all I wanted was for my body to heed my desire to attack Zant. I can't describe the horror and the agony in her scream, but at that point, all I could think about was tearing his throat out with my teeth even if it cost me my life.

Then, I don't know how, but I found myself regaining consciousness in Hyrule Field. After that point, it was all just a blur of rage and hatred till I found you. You remember how I looked that night? Both Midna's and my blood mingled and dried into my matted fur, the bones in one of my legs broken and and bone pierced through the muscle and skin? I don't know how many miles I carried her before getting to town, but it's a fraction of how far I would have taken her. And if Midna didn't make it..."

Link very nearly lost it at this point. His vision clouded with tears, but he wiped them away before they fell. Zelda moved next to him, putting an arm around him and pulled his head onto her shoulder, comforting him, saying, "but she survived, Link. It's okay, she's okay, thanks to you. You did all that you could do for her, and it saved her life." Zelda looked down to see if her words helped him at all, and found that he had fallen asleep, or passed out. She pulled him up onto her bed with difficulty, and let him stay there the night as she herself slept on a chair in the room.

It was well past the time Link usually woke up when he finally came to. The sunlight streaming in the window hurt his eyes, the sounds of the crowded street hurt his head, he felt remarkably sluggish, and his mouth tasted funny and sticky.

"Link, you're finally awake!" he heard Auru comment loudly. "We were worried about you. One moment you were telling us about the Twilight Realm, the next you were stumbling out of the bar with Rusl's whisky. Then the Princess herself shows up after we spend all night looking for you, telling us that she had a guest of honour that might be of interest to us, and here you are. And I see you finished the whole bottle of whiskey off in one night. I can only imagine how that must make you feel."

"Auru, I am seeing the the world not in many colors and sounds as I usually do, but in many different types of pain at the moment. If your voice doesn't remove itself from their ranks, I shall be forced to remove it myself with my sword," Link growled. Not that he actually knew where his sword was, but goddesses be damned if he was going to let that little fact prevent him from bluffing this room into silence. His head hurt worse then the time he accidentally rolled off the resting platform in his house onto the middle platform where his bookcase was, where he was foolish enough to stand up to regain his balance, failing utterly, and finally came crashing down to the 'ground' floor, the back of his skull making the first impact with the floor. The last thing he could remember thinking was '_who built this damn house?_'

"You mean the sword you left at the bar, Link?" Auru said. "Don't worry, Rusl and Ashei are taking care of your stuff."

As if knowing Link had finally woken, Zelda came strolling into her room. "Oh, I see you've finally decided to join the world of the living, Hero. I hope you don't mind, I asked Auru to make sure you didn't swallow your tongue while I was consulting with some contractors."

"Zelda? What happened last night?" Link managed to squint one eye open, regardless of how much the sunlight glaring in the window made his head hurt. "We didn't...I mean...I don't remember anything. Why am I in your bed?"

Zelda laughed, "No need to fret. You passed out, so I had you stay in my bed for the night. I unrolled some spare linens onto the floor for myself. You'll find your mug has been filled with water, and is on the floor next to you. Drink it slowly. Auru, I think we should give him a little bit of quite time."

"I agree," came Link's voice from the bed.

"Then it's settled. Auru and I are going to go talk for a bit. Link, you stay here and drink that water." Zelda lead Auru down the hall into a meeting room where they could talk in private. As they all sat around a the table, Zelda was the first to talk. "So, what has Link told you two about his journey? We talked briefly last night, but I didn't press him for much information."

Auru laughed, "Well, since we first got him talking, Link has actually told us quite a bit. Granted, he'd get carried away at times and mixed with the spirits, his story telling ability becomes a little incoherent, but we let him yammer on. It seems to be the only thing that comforts him, to live in the past. I don't think he's ready to go back to herding goats just yet. We let him drink as he wanted, and in return, he started telling us his story. He even started acting it out and jumping around whenever he talked about certain battles."

"You mean to tell me that you've been letting this man poison himself every day for your own amusement?" Zelda was furious at Auru. "After all he's been through, after saving all of our lives, you treat him like a performing monkey? That is the most vile, shameless thing I-"

"Your Highness, if you'll excuse me before you finish that sentence," Auru interrupted with a sternness in his voice he seldom used, and immediately wished he hadn't used with the Princess. He softened his tone before continuing, "You were not there when he came back from his travels. You were not there when he stumbled in to the bar just a few nights ago. We had always seen him after many temples, tired and weary, but you could tell he finished something. This night was different. We had never seen him look defeated before, but that's how he looked.

"One look in his eyes was all it took to tell us that he had lost the greatest battle of his life. As soon as we saw him, the pain in his face made us fear that that this 'Ganon' was right behind him, about to kill us all. We watched in silence as Link wearily stumbled his way to the bar, hoping for one last bitter drink to ease his passing. Who knows how much time had passed before any of us had built up the courage to talk to him.

"I thought he had lost the war. I also knew that he had done everything he could, and had no right to sit there so depressed about it. I tried to cheer him up by pouring him is favorite mead and said 'You did the best you could.' In an instant, his expression changed, and he said, 'No I didn't Auru, I didn't do a damn thing! I didn't do a GODDESS FUCKING DAMN THING! All I could do is stand there. I didn't move, I didn't speak. And now it's too late. So don't tell me I did my best, 'cause I didn't.'

"He just pressed his eyes into his elbow and from what I can tell, cried, though he tried to hide it. For simple respect for his privacy, Telm kicked everyone out of the bar immediately. Eventually, he found hat I had poured for him, and before I knew it he had downed the whole thing.

"He stared off at nothing for a while, before he finally made his way over to the table where everyone else was sitting. Not knowing what to expect, we just stared in silence, hoping he would clue us in as to what was going on. Finally, avoiding eye contact with any of us, he broke the silence, 'Telma, got any thing stronger?' he said. She knew it was a bad idea, but how could we say no? So she brought out a bottle of bourbon that the Gorons make, one of the strongest things she carries.

"The sheer strength of the bourbon was enough to actually slow him down and make him take his time drinking it. And by the time he was done, we saw a little bit of life return to his face. As we were all much relieved, we took the opportunity to ask him about his journey over the past few months. As long as he didn't sober up, he slowly cheered up. And to all of our surprise, he finally smiled for the first time that night. He got to the part of the story where he got thrown in the the prisons below the castle, and for some reason, he smiled as he recollected how he escaped from the prisons and made his way back to the woods where he was captured in the first place. By that point, it seemed like he wasn't simply retelling the story to us, but reliving it.

"The unmistakable passion had returned to his eyes, yet it seemed like he didn't even know where he was, nor did he seem to care. The more he drank, the brighter his eyes got. At one point he stood up and began trying to act out his adventures. He unsheathed his sword, and before you knew it, Rusl was lunging toward Link before Link would have the chance to accidentally killed one of us. It truly is amazing, considering Link could barely stand on his own two feet, seeing Rusl come at him like that must have sobered him up so fast, because in no time, Link had him on the ground about to kill him, as if Rusl was just one of the enemies in Link's story. I took the pommel of my sword and hit Link in the back of the head to knock him out before he could kill him. It wasn't a decision that came easy; I like Link, he's a good kid. But I figured it would be better to knock him out, then him killing Auru, and possible myself had I just tried to disarm Link as Rusl had.

"We carried Link into the back room, not only because we were concerned for his well being, but because we also didn't want to see him harm anyone out on the streets as he staggered off to, well, who knows where he'd go. So the three of us took turns watching over him all night, which turned out to be unnecessary. Between being knocked out by my sword, blacking out due to the alcohol, and fainting due to the exhaustion of not sleeping much for the last two weeks, he slept through most of the following day. It wasn't until Ashei returned the next day that Link finally woke up.

"She would never admit this to any one, but we all suspected Ashei had taken a liking to our young hero. Occasionally he would stop by asking for directions to a certain place, or looking for information about some certain legend, and every time he left, Ashei would always tell us how she thought he shouldn't be out there alone, or that she thought we should go investigate something around the area that he said he was headed of to, and 'while we're there, maybe we should stop by and say hi to Link, yeah?' It really wasn't surprising after all, having grown up under the tutelage of an old knight of Hyrule, that she would develop a deep respect for the man who would come along and surpass all of her expectations of combat and survival. And Link's farm-boy personality mingled so well with Ashei's tomboy attitude.

"When we had told Ashei of everything that had happened the night before, there was no mistaking the look of concern in her eyes. She tried to hide it as best she could, 'I guess it's my shift to look after him, yeah?' I just told her 'That's alright, Ashei, he's been asleep for nearly fourteen hours. Actually, I think it's about time to wake him up.'

"I tried to wake him gentle at first, but the he ignored me. I resorted to prodding Link, which also didn't work. Finally, in desperation, I shouted 'Link, lookout, there's a stalfos coming your way!' As it turns out, I was right in thinking this would get Link up, but wrong in thinking it wouldn't have any consequences. Link sprang to his feet and grabbed the closest item he could find that could be used as a weapon, which in this case was a chair, and swung it in the direction he remembered the voice coming from, which was at me. Everyone heard the commotion, and rushed towards the back room as Link ran out of the back room towards us. 'Telma, Auru has been injured, he needs your help. Ashei, be on your guard, enemies approach. Rusl, where's my sword?'

"It took some time to calm him down and make him relax. As Link finally returned to our table, and his face started to return to that would-rather-be-dead-than-anywhere-else look from the night before, Telma poured all of us a shot of that Goron Bourbon that had finally loosened Link up the night before. It was the worst tasting thing I have had in my life. Even Link agreed with me on that point. After nearly puking it back up, he as asked, 'Telma, what the hell is this shit? Are you trying to kill us?'

"I told him that that's what he had so thoroughly enjoyed the night before, as I poured us all one more shot. He looked confused for a second as he took the another shot, but I immediately distracted him. 'So Link, you had just finished telling us of how you had destroyed the curse on Darbus. Why don't you pick up where you left off? What did you do?' Link told us of his adventure at the lake and of his encounter with the spirit at Zora's Domain, and how he got the underwater armor from the Zora Prince, and about the puzzles of that temple under the lake. But after that, he grew silent for awhile. He maintained that eerie stare that made it look like he was reliving his memories, but he didn't say a word. I didn't dare interrupt him, so I poured us all a third shot of bourbon. He snatched his up immediately, and then Rusl's as well.

"Eventually, he picked the story back up with him finding his way into a sacred forest by his homeland, and recovering an ancient sword. I'm sure Shad would have loved to been there for that part of the story. But without even glancing at each other, we all knew that there was something that Link wasn't telling us. But we didn't think much about it. After all the horrors he had seen, it was understandable that there would be a memory or two he didn't dare voice aloud, so we let it pass. Another two or three shots later, he got to the point of the story where met up with me at the lake, raided a bulblin camp, at talked to the Sages about a mirror. At about this point, his story became so incoherent, he resorted to acting out the the next few sections of his adventure.

"He told us about climbing a mountain, meeting a yeti, sliding down the mountain on a slab of ice, and something about pumpkin-cheese-fish soup. Then, he acted out some epic battle which involved a lot of ice and a chunk of that broken mirror. By this point, he could hardly string two words together in a meaningful way, so we convinced him to call it quits for the night.

"Ashei claimed that she felt guilty that she was not there to help out the other night when Rusl and Auru tried to disarm Link, so she offered to watch over him the entire night. The rest of us had come to the agreement quite a while ago that Link and Ashei were fairly compatible with each other, considering how oddly unique they were in their own way. Granted, Rusl had something of an objection, saying that Link had someone back home, but he did admit that Link's adventure probably had changed him beyond recognition from the person he used to be.

"We figured that we'd let Ashei look after Link for the night. Who knows, maybe a little companionship was all Link needed to feel like a part of this world again. We figured it would be worth a shot, seeing as to how they're nearly the same age and all. Personally, I had some reservations about this, as there was obviously something major that Link wasn't telling us, but I'll admit that my curiosity overcame my judgement.

"At first, it seemed to help Link. The next day he actually woke up before noon and him and Ashei left the back room to rummaged for food, hardly even noticing the rest of us watching them, before returning to their slumber. Needless to say, we were fairly pleased with ourselves for bringing those two together. Even I felt that my unvoiced suspicions were wrong. A few hours later, Link emerged from the back room and politely asked Telma 'How much do I owe you for the hospitality?' Of course, She wouldn't accept his money, and told him that we were just helping a friend back on his feet. 'Well in that case, I appreciate everything you've done Telma. And here's 25 rupees in advance for the tab I'm about to start.' Link handed her the red and blue and walked towards the bar, just in time for Ashei to leave the back room as well. Upon seeing her, Link said 'Hey Ashei, I've started us a tab. I'm having a stout, you want anything?' Ashei looked back at Link, 'I'll have what ever you're having, yeah?'

"As Link and Ashei sat down next to each other and Link handing her an ale, we couldn't help to feel that we've helped the hero. He was drinking milder alcohol, and what's more, he seemed to have found some sort of contentment in Ashei. After asking us where he left off in his telling of his adventure, he immediately began with redoubled vigor. He told us about meeting Rusl in the Faron woods and his trip to the Temple of Time, and his surprise at how close he was to it when he retrieved that ancient sword. He told us how each dungeon seemed to be more of a puzzle then the last, and that this particular one was one of the most confusing yet. He had to guide some statue from the top of the temple to the bottom, before killing some giant spider.

"And finally, he came to the part that involved Telma and Shad and Ilia. I didn't realize he had been so busy prior to the part of his adventure that we were involved in. He ran all over the country trying to restore the memory of that young lady friend of his, then ran all over the country again to check on a bunch of statues. Finally, he somehow ended up with a cannon at the lake and ended up at some island in the sky fighting a dragon.

"I should mention that by this part of the story, even though he was drinking a milder form of alcohol, he had still plenty of it and his story telling was starting to become unclear. He had past his 25 rupee tab, but I didn't mind. He wasn't drinking out of misery anymore. It seemed like he was actually starting to enjoy telling us about his adventures.

"But it was about the time when he told us about his return to the desert and reassembling of the mirror that Link seemed to grow distant from us again. He said he stepped into another world, called the Twilight Realm, but that's where the story stopped. His eyes revived that look that told us he was reliving those memories he didn't dare share with us. We tried to coax him out of it, but the only thing he said after that was 'Rusl, I owe you one,' as he grabbed the whiskey that was meant for Rusl to give to Bo, and staggered out of the bar. By the way he was walking, he had clearly had more to drink then we had realized. By the time I had gone out to look for him, Link was nowhere to be found."

"And apparently, he drunkenly crept his way past your guards and soldiers, and found his way into your bed chambers, your highness," Auru concluded.

Zelda, hearing most of Link's adventure for the first time, was speechless. She marvelled that Link had gone through so much, as even she had no idea just how active he had been. Then it occurred to her just how hard it must have been for him to watch the only person in the world who understood what had happened, and who was with him the entire way, leave.

"Auru, I cannot thank you enough for filling me in on Link's adventures. The only way that I see fit to repay you for your favor is to fill you in on the part of Link's journey that he failed to mention."

Auru felt uncomfortable about this exchange of information. "Your Highness, if there was something that Link left out, I'm sure he had a good reason to do so. I do not think that it would be fair to him to discuss his secrets without his consent."

Zelda knew this but had another reason to share certain information, and said "I understand your concern, but this is a bigger secret then he should ever have to keep. You are his friend, and possibly the wisest person I know, and as such should be one of the few people to know of his companion."

"Companion, Princess?" Auru looked questioningly at Zelda. "The many times I had seen Link, he traveled alone. And none of the tales that ever made their way to the bar made reference to any companion. And as far as I have heard from Telma, Rusl, Ashei, and Shad, none of them ever saw Link with a companion."

Zelda replied with a friendly smile, "She wouldn't be a well kept secret if any of you did know about her, now would she? And besides, I'm sure Midna knew every single one of you, and exactly how you helped Link. Also, I'm sure the fact that you are unaware of her existence because that's exactly how she wanted it. Let's just say she liked to hide in the shadows."

Auru, couldn't contain the look of surprise on his face. "Who was she?"

Zelda was again unsure how to continue this conversation. What do should she say say? She was from another world? She was a princess? She was an imp? The extent of Link's devotion to her? The fact that the Hero of this Kingdom only did what he did to to prove his feelings for the princess of another world? Zelda suddenly regretted her decision to inform Auru about Link's involvement with Midna. Perhaps this is why he didn't tell them. How do you casually tell someone that you fell for a cursed princess of another world and species, and accidently saved your own kingdom in the process? And that she literally hid in your shadow for most of your journey, and that you would never see her again. Zelda new she had to say something. "She was the Princess of the very Twilight Realm that threatened to overrun Hyrule. A usurper named Zant over threw her, and used his unnaturally gained powers to invade our land. In exchange for Link's help in overthrowing Zant, Midna helped Link destroy the power that had corrupted our land.

"What started out as a simple, mutually beneficial partnership, turned into something much more then either had expected. After Link finished his quest at the Lakebed Temple, the usurper Zant caught Midna and Link off guard, and did his best to kill Midna by exposing her to a power that was she was never meant to encounter. It had nearly killed her. It would have killed her, had Link not risked his life to bring her to me. Nothing was going to stop him from doing all he could to save her life.

"It nearly killed him to get her to me. As she fell to the floor, making her dying wish that I do all I can to help Link, Link collapsed to the floor, every muscle in his body twitching from shear overexertion and his heart on the verge of quitting, unable to speak his dying wish that I do all I can to save her, in addition to the near mortal wounds he had already recieved. But I could see it in Link's face that as long as Midna needed him, he would not die. So I did everything in my power to save her, and at the risk of losing myself, I made it so that she could not be harmed by the same lethal power ever again."

Auru understood Link's action at that moment, but no words came to mind about how to respond to such a description of his companion. Finally, he said, "I think we should go see how he's doing."

Zelda agreed, and they went back down the hall to her room. When they entered, they found that the room was empty, and no sign of Link.


	3. The Search for Home

**Chapter 2: Search for Home**

As far as Link was concerned, Castle Town was too damn bright and too damn loud. Zelda and Auru had been gone for so long, he began to wonder it they were even coming back. He decided that he didn't care, as there was someone else he wanted to talk to as soon as he could, but he had to get all the way to Kakariko first.

Link left the Inn, doing his best to avoid people not because he was trying to be sneaky, but because he was hungover. Regardless of his conspicuous green tunic and hat, he only people that seemed to notice him were the guards who, either by an order or because he was already leaving, didn't disturb him. He almost made it out of town when a loud "Eeeee" told him he had been noticed.

The three girls who had become his fans since his performance at the STAR Game came running over to him, much to his annoyance.

"Link! Link!" they called, making him regret telling them his name after his first time. He tried to ignore them and picked up his pace, but they caught up soon enough.

"Link, where are you headed?" one asked.

"Kakariko." The girls always brought out his laconic side.

"Oh, that's cool. You headed there now?" another one asked, or possibly the same one. Link didn't pay much attention to them and had a hard time distinguishing them.

"Yeah. I'm kinda in a hurry, too."

"Uh-hu. Is that where you're from?" they asked.

"No."

"Oh, so where are you from again? I keep forgetting!"

"Ordon."

"Oh yeah, that farmy place in the south!"

Because they didn't ask a question, Link didn't say anything. He just stared at them trying to make them uncomfortable, and it seemed to work.

"Oh, uh, yeah, you were in a rush and all... Like, come visit when you're in town again!"

Link started again, and got out of the town before anyone else stopped him. The bridge on the east side of town was just starting to be rebuilt, so he had to exit through the southern entrance.

Link took out the whistle Ilia made for him and called Epona in it. He started on the long path to Kakariko on foot waiting for his steed. When she didn't come, he tried to recall where he last left her. The last time he had ridden her was in his fight with Ganondorf three weeks ago, and that was in East Hyrule Field. She's as likely to still be there as she is to have wandered back to Ordon. In either case, she was beyond hearing Link's call, so he proceed on foot.

Link quickly realized that he had left all his gear at the bar. He wasn't worried about the stray goblin or bulblin, but he was worried about not having any water skins or food, as the pass from Kakariko Gorge to Kakariko was a desolate area, and a full day's march. Link knew that if he went back to the bar, he would likely be delayed a day, and he didn't feel like waiting. So he set off.

Southern Hyrule Field he crossed easily enough. There were enough creeks for him to drink from when he needed, and the dandelion and chufa were all in season if he needed to eat, even though he hoped it wouldn't come to that.

He stayed on his feet all that day, and made it to Kakariko Gorge by midnight. He took shelter for the night ina cave nearby that he had opened up with a bomb, but as he expected, he didn't sleep well. But he was a little relieved when the sky became overcast with clouds that bore no threat of rain. This meant that with the sun hidden, he'd lose less sweat, and without the risk of getting hypothermia from rain.

After only a few hours of poor sleep, he set off again before the sun was even up. He shivered, but his body warmed up from the work as dawn hit. Most of the morning's march was as uneventful as was the day before.

Unsurprisingly to him, the vegetation diminished soon past the gorge itself, and by noon he was in the familiar desolate canyon leading up to the village. He figured this would be a good time to stop and search for water.

Link climbed the canyon wall, as it wasn't too deep, but wasn't happy with what he saw on the horizon. The clouds were turning darker, and the fall of rain could be seen in the distance. He didn't want to waste anymore time, so Link decided to suffer a little dehydration to avoid getting caught in the weather. He climbed back down the canyon and started heading up to Kakariko.

Not long after he resumed is trip, he felt a slight shift in the weather. The wind picked up and the temperature cooled down. Not much at first, but as he went on he began to notice it more. For many hours, the weather taunted him, but didn't rain. Then, as the sun went down, he began to feel a few drops.

As the sky darkened, the frequency of the drops increased. About an hour outside of Kakariko, the rain was substantial, and he was wet. He began to shiver so he picked up his pace. Finally, he reached the village.

The first thing he did was walk into the Spirit Spring and take a drink of water, for even though it was raining, he was still painfully dehydrated, and he was already totally wet and cold, so he didn't mind wading through the cool water.

"Link!" Renado's strong voice carried well down to the spring from his house. Link whipped around to see the man walking calmly, but quickly down to the spring where Link was standing. Renado looked at Link, saying, "You're not looking so well. We need to get you inside."

Renado guided Link into his house. Link, following Renado's directions, had lain down in front of the fire to dry off. To his surprise, he suddenly started shivering violently. Concerned, he looked up at Renado, who was looking back at him, smiling.

"Don't worry. Your body was so cold that it had resorted to conserving as much energy as possible. Now that you have started to warm up, your body has started to shiver in an effort to keep warming itself up. You will find yourself in a better state tomorrow. I left you a few warmer, dryer articles of clothing from my youth, and a few blankets, as well as some bread to eat. You should get into something dry and get some rest. Whatever you came here for can wait till tomorrow."

"Actually, I came here to talk to you," Link told him. Link was always impressed with how Renado dealt with Ilia, helping her to remember who she was. He was a wise man, but it was a different type of wisdom than Auru's wisdom gained from experience. Link could only describe it as being a 'spiritual' wisdom, an ability to see into people.

Renado smiled at this, "Then that means you won't have far to look when you take up your business tomorrow."

It was a long night for Link. He lay there shivering by the fire and it's embers for much of the night, annoyed at himself for coming to Kakariko without any of the gear or food he'd usually take with him. It had seemed to Link that days had gone by before the sun finally arose in the east, and even though he knew his chances of getting any rest were obliterated by the morning sun, he still vainly tried to pull his coverings over his eyes in a desperate attempt to fall asleep.

"It won't do to have the Hero sloth in bed all day," Renado said from across the room. "Besides, if you don't get up, your breakfast will get cold."

Link threw the sheets off of him and walked over to Renado. "I'm not the Hero anymore, Renado. And thanks for the food."

"Once the hero, always the hero. Never forget that. I hope you like grilled cuckoo and eggs," Renado said as he handed link a plate.

"Renado, what exactly is it that makes someone the hero?" Link didn't want to wait to get to the questions that have been nagging him.

"That's a good question Link. I'm sure this is something that's been going through your mind. I'm sure you must have some ideas of your own at this point," replied Renado, hoping Link would hint at what was truly troubling him.

"Well, most people call me a hero for what I've done, but yet, I don't feel like a hero. Renado, only one other person knows this, but even my actions which have drawn such praise were guided by entirely selfish motivations. And as for my actions... Everything I did was to bring about a specific end, but by finishing my last deed, what I sought for had become impossible."

Renado was silent for a minute as he repeated every word Link had said back to himself. His questions were cryptic, Renado knew there was something he was driving at that that he didn't want to say. "Perhaps it's that you do not think of yourself as a hero that makes you the hero. I think that when considering whether or not you are a hero, it would be as important to remember the things that didn't motivate you. Power? Money? Fame? You don't seem like the person who would risk their life for such childish desires, Link. And you may be surprised what other people would find to be heroic."

Link knew he had a point, but his mind would not be calmed so easily. "But what then, Renado? After the hero's quest is done and the fates throw him aside, with his one wish vanished into the sand...what then? Am I just supposed to pick up where I left off?"

Renado already had a rely at the ready, "Link, you were happy before any of this happened, I'm sure. But now you feel like you don't know who you are anymore. You feel lost, confused. You think that by figuring out what you are, you will figure out who you are. IT would seem to me that you are trying to figure out who this is," Renado said, gesturing to Link, "by figuring out a title for him. The simple truth is that you can't just define a person so easily."

That made sense to Link, but he didn't know what to say, so Renado continued. "After everything you've been through, a person changes. You probably feel scared to go home, because you might find that you no longer feel at home there. And to be honest, I doubt you will. But if you seek your new place in life, you need to start somewhere. Even if you know you don't belong there, Ordon will likely hold some answers for you."

Link ate some more of his food in silence as he thought about what Renado had said. It made sense, and he was right about Link feeling scared to go back to Ordon. But there was still something Link wanted to bring up.

"Not a night goes by where I don't remember the sound my sword makes as it pierces flesh, or the or the sight of bodies melting away from their skeletons in a mere second as a bomb-arrow explodes nearby. All this, I can handle, but the one dream, the one memory I relive every night...where I see her die from miles off, and there's nothing I can do about it. The one where the Evil appears and crumbles the trophy of his kill in front of me..." Link started to choke on his words as he recalled the memory, but for prides sake he didn't let himself cry.

Renado then immediately knew what haunted Link. He left his side of the table and sat next to the kid as the Hero wiped his eyes. "Tell me about her, Link."

Link sniffled as he wiped his nose on his shirt, forgetting that they were loaners from Renado. "As you said, Renado, how do you describe a person with mere words and titles? She was a princess, the regent of the world that brought such grief to ours. She had a way of always putting things in perspective. If I got too concerned or focused on one thing, a sarcastic comment from her was all it took to feel less tense about the task at hand. She always watched my back and I watched hers. After a while, you get used to that, then you like it. I've never felt a connection like that with anyone else. Not even close."

Link told him all about how she treated him when she first found him, about how she hid her true character, about Zant's attack and how Link saved her, how they went to the Twilight Realm together to face Zant, then Ganondorf. Link told him about everything he had been keeping a secret from everyone else.

Once Link was finished telling the story, Renado smiled at him, "I think that makes you more of a hero then anything else, Link. Everything you did, you did for someone else. And not even for some kingdom for the sake of living out some grand legend of old, but for one person. It was love, Link. You think your actions were done for selfish reasons, but in fact, it's the opposite. Everything you did was out of love for another, to put another's life ahead of your own. And that's what makes you the hero, even if the people don't know it. You have a good heart, and even if people don't know exactly what that means, they still love you for it."

The conversation continued intermittently as the two finished their breakfast. Link offered to help clean up, but Renado declined his help, so Link folded up the bedding and clothes Renado had lent him, and decided to take off. He thanked Renado again as he left to head back for Ordon, if only for a short while.

Link first went west out of Kakariko into Hyrule Field, hoping Epona was still there. He called her with Ilia's horse call and waited. About as he was about to give it up, he heard hoof beats, and soon enough Epona rode up to him. He found himself surprised at how relived he felt to pet her shoulders again, like seeing an old friend after a long time.

He fitted one foot into the stirrup, swung his leg over his steed, hooked his other foot in, and spurred her on. The way he figured it, by the end of the day, he should be near Faron woods, and another day should just about get him to Ordon.

First light glimmered between the trees, stirring Link from his sleep. He hadn't gotten quite as far as he thought he would, but should still be able to make it to the ranch by the time the sun fully rises. He rolled up his pad and blanket and secured them to Epona, and made his way home.

Fully remembering the old routine, Link made his way through the village as as slowly as he could to prevent the clickity-clack of horseshoes across the bridge and occasional rocks from being loud enough to wake the rest of the villagers. Once he got up to the ranch, he opened the barn doors to get all the goats into that circular holding area. Making sure they were all present and accounted for, he shut the barn and opened the gate to the pasture. The pasture itself was huge, about as big as the southern portion of Hyrule field.

Just as soon as the the sun began to cast the world in that faint golden light, Link's work began. The goats, eager to start their day of grazing, ran through the gate into the pasture with all due haste. The hardest part of Link's entire day was to make sure none of the goats ran off too far in their morning mad dash into the pasture. They were always so excited in the morning. But after about an hour of running around, the goats had worn themselves out, and had began their busy day of munching the alfalfa. Now it was Link's turn.

Link trotted away from the goats so he wouldn't startle any of them. He leaned forward, "Ready Epona? HI-YA!" Link nudged Epona with his heels as she took off in a full gallop. Link only barely gripped the reins, trusting Epona to her own sense of direction. Link just closed his eye as Epona galloped, feeling the rhythmic beating of hooves on the ground, the smell of the dewy trees in the air, and the damp morning air rushing against his face, his hair flung behind him by the artificial breeze. It was the freedom, the connection with nature that he found so exhilarating. But his joy was quenched when he remembered how he used to feel this feral exhilaration as the steed.

Epona steered herself back to the goats as her rider lost himself in his memories. When the duo found it's way back, Link was relieved to be suddenly forced back to the present.

"Well Link! When did you get back into town? Last I heard from Rusl, you had slipped out of the Princess's bed first thing in the morning after you stayed with her. Never thought you had it in you, boy!" Fado shouted with a weird sense of pride in his voice, which was followed by a wink.

"No Fado, it was nothing like that. Well, in a way, it's exactly that, but it's not what you think." Link was working on an explanation in his head. Luckily, Fado interrupted.

"I'm just giving you a hard time. Rusl said how you were pretty much drunk for a few days and the Princess accommodated you. But Link, she is the Princess...you are the Hero...you know who these things go..." Fado dared insinuate.

"No Fado. There's someone else. I'd rather not talk about it." Link was pretty annoyed at Fado's comment, but Fado didn't know better, so Link did his best to hide his frustrations, though it might have been in his best interest to spare a little more information.

"Hey, I'm going to go tell Rusl you're back. I'm sure he'll be relieved. And you seem grumpy anyway." Fado walked down to the village with a smile on his face, saying to himself, "Someone else, huh? Well that cute. The hero comes back for his childhood friend instead of the Princess of the land. Not that anyone's really going to be surprised."

That evening, as Link finished work and headed back for the town, a mob was waiting for him. Instinctively, his mind jumped to the memory of the dozen or so bulblins charging at him as he shot open the drawbridge that lead to the last room in the Goron Mines. His hand had half made it's way to the hilt of the Master Sword which he had still not gotten around to returning to the Temple of Time.

Link noticed what he was doing and quickly diverted his hand to another action: dismounting Epona. He was greeted warmly by his friends, and the gathering quickly moved it's way to Bo's house, where the Hero was surprised to see that most of the villagers had taken the time to make quite a feast. Apparently, Bo had declared it a holiday.

As many people as possible squeezed into the table in Bo's house, and many pulled up chairs near the table just to be close to the action, and the food. In hardly no time, the villagers unanimously agreed that Link should retell his entire story. Link knew that he would have to sooner or later, but he was definitely hoping for the 'later' option so he could eat first.

Link retold of his adventure, much like he did for the Resistance a few nights ago, except he left a few more things out of this new version, mostly the violent stuff and the Midna stuff, and shortened the story greatly because he was hungry.

Regardless of how much he abridged the story, retelling all 7 months of his adventure still took nearly a full hour. There was still about another 30 minutes of Link taking questions from the villagers, but Link was fine with this, as he was able to get a few bites of food between each question.

Then there came the question that he was hoping wouldn't come up. "So Link, what are you going to do, now everything is done?" Link looked up to see Uli finish the question. Then a few other people raised their heads, curious for the Hero's answer, though Link didn't care to meet their gaze.

Link took his time chewing on the food that was already in his mouth. But when he was done, he still had no answer. Keeping his eyes fixed on his plate, all he said was "I don't know."

Much to his relief, the village's curiosity in the Hero dimmed a little bit, and soon the people had decided it was late enough and went home for the evening. Soon, it was just Link, Rusl, Bo, and Ilia left in the house. Colin had put up a bit of a fight to stay, but Uli eventually won and took the boy home.

Bo sat across from Link, Rusl on one of the sides, and Link and Ilia sat next to each other, by Ilia's design. There they sat in silence for an uncomfortably long time, before Rusl broke the peace. "Oh, by the way Link, I brought all your gear back from the bar. It's been quite a chore keeping Colin's curious hands off of it. I'm sure he'd love it if you showed him some of your equipment."

Link smiled at that, "Yeah, I've picked up a few neat things on the way I'm sure would fascinate him. I might as well; I've been thinking I should return most of it to where I got it. Well, maybe not all of it."

Bo laughed at that. "Ahh, so you've pick a few favorite trinket and souvenirs to keep around?"

Link's smile faded. "No. Some of them no longer have homes. Some of those items I had to kill to get. And some of them may just be too dangerous to leave in a temple that isn't cursed anymore."

Bo's smile also faded at the sudden grimness of Link's attitude, but it was his daughter who tried to cheer him up. "Link, I'm sure you did what you had to do. You're not a killer."

Link smiled as this brought him a little bit of comfort. "Yeah, I hope you didn't mind that I left certain points of the story out. I didn't feel like most of my battles would make good dinner conversation."

Rusl commented "Link, I'm glad you showed discretion. I'm sure most of the villagers would never look at you the same if you told them the same story that you told us at the bar... well, I'm sure they already see you differently already, but with admiration, not fear. Speaking of which...I happen to have a bottle of that whiskey you wanted, Bo."

Bo looked up at this, "Well, I suppose now is as good of a time as any to break it open! I'll go get a few mugs!"

Rusl gave a stern glance at Link at this comment, sizing Link up, remembering the last time he had seen Link with booze. Link noticed this and gave Rusl a reassuring nod. Bo walked back with four small mugs.

Rusl counted the mugs then commented "Hey Bo, don't you think four mugs is a little too many? Are you sure all of us should be drinking?"

Ilia knew what Rusl meant. "Hey, Link is only 3 months older then me! If he can drink, so can I."

Bo smiled at his daughters pride, knowing she would soon regret it. "Rusl, go ahead and let her have a taste, then we'll see just how much she wants to match Link."

So Rusl poured the 4 mugs and distributed them around the table. Him and Bo were quite used to the strong spirits. Link was somewhat accustomed to it, but still couldn't help but to wonder how he drank a whole bottle in one night. But Ilia was revolted. She nearly spit it back into the mug, and marveled at the 3 men around her drinking what she mentally called "the grossness".

As the men finished the liquor in their mugs, Rusl asked the question that had been on his mind since Link disappeared. "So Link, what happened to you after you left Castle Town? We were all concerned and spread out to look for you. Ashei went north, Auru west, and I came south, and Telma stayed at the bar in case you came back, and because she has a business to run."

Link laughed, and said, "I went east."

As Link told Bo, Rusl, and Ilia about what had happened over the last few days, about his trip to Kakariko, then here, and about some of his conversation with Renado, though he refrained from mentioning anything about Midna.

No one, including Link, realized how much the Hero had drank until he finished his story and Bo suggested they all head to bed for the night. As Link tried to stand up, he would have knocked the bench over had Ilia not been sitting in it. Instead, he just fell backwards on his ass.

Link, from the floor, commented, "Sorry Rusl, I think I drank more then I planned to."

Rusl just said, "I was the one that was pouring, Link. I should have paid more attention this time. I don't know if you should be climbing all the ladders back at your place. Perhaps you should stay in town tonight."

Link assured Rusl, "Don't worry, I think I should be able to make it."

Before Rusl could make it over to Link, Ilia offered her hand to help him up. Link gratefully took it, but he doubted the stability that Ilia could provide, so he did most of the work of getting up himself.

Once on his own two feet, Ilia did her best to support him by pulling his arm over her shoulders and by putting her arm around him. Link, while appreciative of the gesture, doubted that he really needed the help. Besides, he didn't think Ilia could catch him if he fell, and that she was just overreacting.

In the end, Rusl and Bo decided to help Link back to his place. Link, Ilia, and Bo followed Rusl back to the treehouse on the outskirts of the village. Rusl went up the ladder to Link's house first, and Link followed him up. Bo stayed at the base of the ladder to catch Link in case he fell, as Rusl tried to help pull Link up. Link stubbornly refused the help to prove to them that he wasn't as drunk as they thought, and they reluctantly were convinced.

Once everyone else was gone, Link made quick work of undressing and climbing into bed, where the liquor readily swept him off to sleep. As Rusl, Bo, and Ilia made their way back to town, Ilia voiced her concern, "Father, do you really think that Link should be left alone? After all he's been through, and considering he's drunk, I think someone should hang around in case he needs something."

Bo smiled at his daughter, "Ilia, after all he's been through, I'm sure Link will be just fine."

But this wasn't good enough for Ilia. "Father, you're the mayor of this town, when are you going to start acting like it? Link risked his life to save us all. The least you could do in return is make sure that he's safe. If you're not going to look out for him, then I'll just have to do it myself." Ilia stormed off back to Link's treehouse, making sure to stomp the whole way back for dramatic effect. As she turn her back to her father, she couldn't help but to smile to herself_,_reflecting on how that 'you're the mayor' line always works.

Bo and Rusl stopped and watched Ilia storm off. When she was inside Link's house and had closed the door, Rusl turned to Bo and asked, "Doesn't that concern you at all? You don't have any issue with her staying with him?"

Bo sighed and answered, "Yes, I do. But she's as old as her mother was when we got married, so what can I justifiably say to her? Besides, I trust Link. If she was going to be with someone, I'm glad it's him. I know he won't do anything to hurt her."

"But he's changed, Bo," Rusl said. "I was surprised how well he did today at dinner, but I honestly doubt that he really wants to be here."

Bo looked at Rusl with concern on his face. "What do you mean he's changed? Why wouldn't he want to be here?"

It was Rusl's turn to sigh before answering. "It's something Auru said. Link has gone through a lot, and the way he sees the world is likely fundamentally different now. What he's been through and what's been riding on him for the last year has given him a maturity beyond anyone in this village, and in such a short time too. He'll feel stifled here, or anywhere else for that matter."

"I hadn't thought of that," said Bo, disappointed. "But where will he go then? Princess Zelda?"

Rusl shrugged his shoulders. "Perhaps. I think he's probably more comfortable around her than anyone else right now. He tried to hide it, but even the story he told us at the bar had significant gaps in it, and it was painfully obvious that there was something significant that he was intentionally hiding from us. Whatever it was, just thinking about it drove him to seek out the Princess with sudden haste."

"If he didn't tell you guys, I have no doubt he kept it from us as well," said Bo.

"There was a lot he left out of your story. His version at the bar took three days, and was still incomplete. And what he told us about visiting Renado... he spent two days going to Kakariko on foot with no rations. Did anything in his story seem like a good reason why he'd do something like that? I could be wrong, but I think there's something important that concerns him that he's trying to sort out himself. The last time I saw someone this tormented was you when your wife passed."

Bo looked hard at Rusl. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know. I wish I did, but I don't."


	4. Alone Again

**Chapter 3: Alone Again**

"_MIDNA!"_

_A dazed wolf lifts its head off the grass, unaware of how it got there. In the dimness of the crescent moon, it it scans to the horizon to find its bearings, while through a clouded head, it vainly tries to recall the events that brought it here. Everything was a blur of light and emotion... and pain. His head spun, and every breath hurt as it made his chest expand._

_He struggles to stand, when a faint breathing catches his attention. After turns his head, the deathly pallor of an imp desperately clinging to his back served as a poignant reminder of what had transpired. And just like that, his memory returned. They had been ambushed by Zant._

"_Link," she whispered, hardly more audible than her breath, "take me... to.. Zelda." The daze and delirium clouding the wolf's head were quickly replaced by rage and desperation. The feral steed took to its feet, but found that the back left leg shot a spasm of pain when weight was put on it. On inspection, the wolf saw how badly mangled it was, and that in one place the bone was broken and pierced through his skin._

_But his determination overcame the pain, and as fast as he could manage, he pushed forward despite of his leg, broken ribs, and other injuries he didn't take the time to examine._

"Link. Link!" He was violently shaken by his shoulders. "LINK! Wake up!"

With the reflexes he had been forced to learn through his quest, he opened his eyes and reached his left hand for his sword, only to find that it wasn't by his side where he always kept it when he slept. Remembering to not to panic, he observed his surroundings to discern any potential threats and allies.

No demon nor beast did he see, but something even more surprising to him: Beneath the very same sheets as him was the distantly familiar face of Ilia.

The innocent farm girl was surprised at Link's violent reaction to being woken up. She worriedly explained "I... I'm sorry. You were shaking in your sleep, and moaning in pain. I didn't know what to do..."

Link's heart slowed down to normal as the adrenaline subsided, and his alertness quickly gave way to his hangover. Through a head that felt like it had collided with a rock after falling from Epona, and a parched, sticky mount, Link grunted "It was just a nightmare, Ilia." Then a sudden curiosity came over him, "What... uh, why are you in me bed?"

Ilia was secretly hurt that Link seemed confused by her presence rather than happy. "You've been gone so long, Link. I just want things to go back to how they were. I want to be woken up by you kissing my cheek as you head to the ranch in the morning, and to bring lunch to you during the day, and wait for you at dad's house when you get off in the evening."

Being reminded of how close he once was with Ilia only made him feel miserable about how distant he felt now. He met her stare, hoping that looking in her eyes might trigger the tiniest spark within him. He felt nothing.

Without a word, Link left his bed and headed down to his main floor. He cleaned a few months worth of dust from one of his clay mugs and filled it with water from his rain catch. By the time he had finished off the cup, Ilia had climbed down to the same level.

Ilia was growing increasingly concerned by her old friends new behaviour. "Link..." she began, but didn't know how to continue.

Link continued for her, "Ilia, I'm sorry. It just doesn't feel right anymore. I mean... I've changed. Perhaps I'm still just in shock from everything being over, but I need time." Link looked around his house, and back at Ilia. "This... This isn't my home anymore."

Ilia masked her frustration by taking an accusing tone with Link. "Well if Ordon isn't your home, than what is? Castle Town? Did you develop a taste for a fancier life?"

Link knew she was getting defensive, and tried to calm her. He walked over to her and reassuringly put his hands on her shoulders. "Ilia, I will always treasure Ordon, and you. I don't remember any of my life before Ordon, and there is nowhere else that even comes close to feeling as much like a home as this place. The fact is, I'm just not ready yet."

Ilia's budding temper was placated by Link's words, but she still was sad that she couldn't make him happy. The first of many tears to come started its trail down her cheek as she softly asked, "So where will you go?"

Link hesitated before answering, because in truth, not even he knew. "I don't know, Ilia. I spent some time wandering in isolation a few weeks ago, and I think that help me put things in perspective a little." This was the first Link thought about wandering again, but the idea appealed to and stuck with him. "I think it would be nice to leave the country for a while, to clear my mind, get away from anything that reminds me of... the twilight."

Ilia was speechless. She didn't – and couldn't – understand what drove the man before him to seek to be intentionally lonely, but she didn't like it.

Link saw how conflicted she was, and comforted her, saying, "Ilia, just know that no matter where I go, I relieved to know that somewhere I have a friend waiting for me, willing to make me feel at home again as soon as I am able to come."

He said this entirely for her sake, to make her feel better about his departure. As for himself, he was beginning to realize that there were some pains that even time cannot heal. He secretly knew that he was never returning to Ordon again.

He hugged Ilia, and she hugged back with much more passion than he. The whispered "goodbye" to each other, and she left. Link hurriedly got dressed and put his boots on, wanting to get out of the town before anyone else woke up, but he realized that there was one person he might have to wake, and he doubted it would be an easy conversation.

Link climbed down his front ladder, and took a moment to give Epona a rough pet to get her to start waking up. Then he was off to town. There were some things he thought he might need if he was to go into hiatus, and Rusl still had all his stuff.

Link reached his former mentor's cabin and knocked softly. He waited sometime listening for any noise from within. Link knew that Rusl was a light sleeper, and even that soft of a knock should get him up. Link knocked again, and harder. He was not surprised to find Colin answer the door in lieu of his father.

"Link," Colin began, "what's up? It's not even light out."

Link told him, "Sorry Colin, I was hoping your father would be around so I wouldn't have to wake anyone."

"Oh, he headed out not long before you knocked. You must have just missed him." Colin squinted in the faint light of the dawn. "Anything I can help with?"

"Actually..." Link thought for a moment, "Yeah, I suppose so. Since your dad and I are generally up this early anyway, I figured I'd just swing by and grab my stuff."

"Oh, I can get it for you! Hang on a moment." Colin eagerly shut the door for a moment as Link heard him struggle with must have been a large bag. A moment latter, Colin reappeared with a bulging canvas sack that was way too big and heavy for him to carry. It was even too heavy for Link to carry long distances.

He thanked Colin and headed back to his house, lugging his gear up the hill, manoeuvring it up a ladder, and finally through a door, stopping only briefly to give Epona another scratch. There were only a few items Link was going to bring: The Master Sword, as he felt naked without it and didn't feel ready to return it yet; His bow and quiver, for the occasional hunt; and better food than what he had last time he spent in the wild.

Sealed in a few near airtight clay pot in his basement he kept certain foods meant to last indefinitely, chief among then was hardtack and dried, very salted pork and beef. He was hoping to have better food this time than last time he spent in the wild, but as he looked at his rations, he thought that the quality was only slightly better.

Soon Epona was saddled, his gear loaded, his pad and blanket strapped on, and he was ready to go. Link resisted the urge to ride away at a full gallop because he didn't want to give Epona any cramps, but still took her to a fast enough trot.

Link could not think of anywhere to go, only places he didn't want to be. His knowledge of the land allowed him to forage for food, hunt and trap. He payed no heed of his heading; he ate when he was hungry, drank when thirsty, and slept when tired. As far as he was concerned, there was no going back. All that lay behind him were memories and nightmares; ahead of him lay the unknown, which he found more alluring.

For three fair-weathered days he rode, and even though he payed little attention to his bearing, he could not keep from noticing that he was, despite his zig-zag pattern, headed mostly south. The land looked similar to Ordon much of the time: Many canyons, narrow and wide, heavily forested in places, and dotted with small mountains, or massive hills.

The fourth day, Link saw in the morning sun that the terrain began to become flatter. In addition to the change in the geography, the air cooled and the wind picked up. From his experience, Link knew what that meant for the weather: a storm. Due to the denseness of the trees, he couldn't see just how threatening the oncoming storm looked. Judging by the slightness of the change in the weather, he decided that there was no immediate threat and that he'd bear on for a while longer.

At what Link guessed was noon, he was unable to see the sun between the trees overhead. This concerned him a great deal, as that meant that the cloud cover was thicker than he would have otherwise guessed from the slight shifts in the weather. Nevertheless, he continued on, but with more caution, telling himself that he'd stop if he came upon a particularly good area for making a structure out of.

Many hours later, Link found a rather flat wall of stone on the down slope side of a massive boulder. Knowing that having the the rock wall uphill would protect him from flowing water, effectively creating a shadow where there would be no flowing water; he decided it would be a decent place to set up camp. He dug a small trench in front of the stone, and in the trench, he placed the ends of sturdy branches he could find, leaning the other end against the rock, creating a lean-to. Since the wind was coming from the east, Link made a small fire on the west side of his shelter, so that as long as the wind didn't shift, the rain wouldn't put out his fire.

Rain clouds started to loom over head, so before the floor of his lean-to got wet, Link cut pine branches from the nearby trees and leaned them against his shelter, so that once he had a thick enough layer, the water could not penetrate easily. As he finished securing the branches to his lean-to, a deafening crack of thunder overhead sent Epona bolting into the forest. As Epona still had much of his gear, namely his food, he had no option but to chase after her as it started to rain.

Epona, being a battle-hardened horse, did not in fact run very far before calming down as she was just startled and not frightened. But as Link guided her back to their camp, the gentle rain quite suddenly became a deluge, quickly drenching him to the skin. He returned to camp to find his fire extinguished, but his shelter still standing and rather dry on the inside. He grabbed some jerky and dried fruit from his saddlebag, and headed in. To keep from getting hypothermia, he immediately stripped all his wet clothes and wrapped his naked body in his dry woollen blanket.

He ate his scant meal of jerky and fruit and tried to sleep, but with torrential rain and occasional lightening, he had little success. To add to his frustration, the wind gradually worsened. At first, the wind was steady with the occasional gust, but soon, the intensity of the gusts was enough to shake his shelter. He was concerned at first, but after nearly an hour of his lean-to only shaking, he relaxed a little. Then, without warning, an unprecedented gale blew through his shelter, flipping it away from the stone wall.

In seconds, Link was drenched through his blanket. He knew the risks associated with exposure to the elements, sickness and disease, sometimes fatal. He knew Epona would be fine, it was himself he was concerned about. He knew that he had to keep warm, despite the cold rain and wind. He anxiously searched for a more secure, natural shelter on foot, for Epona had run off at some point during the storm, as he had expected her to do.

Eventually, he came across a natural cave or sorts; two large masses of stone, one leaning against the other, creating a hollow between the two. Cursing himself for not finding the superior shelter earlier, Link entered the cave. Unfortunately, the cave was parallel to the wind, so it was quite windy within. Link took stock of his situation: He was wet, had no food, no dry clothing, no fire, a wet blanket, and was shivering, which meant his body was already struggling to stay warm enough, and his only shelter, while dry, exposed him to the wind.

He fiercely fought of the panic he began to feel brewing inside himself. Link figured his blanket offered little for warmth, so he wedged handfuls of it between gaps in the rock at one end and managed to close off one end of the cave, stopping much of the wind. Next he tried to start a fire. He was able to find some dry tinder in the cave, but any kindling and larger wood he found was quite wet. He managed to ignite the tinder, but nothing else would catch fire.

There he sat, naked and wet, in a dark cave, shivering. He knew that as things stood, there was no way he could survive the night. But he wasn't going to give up without a fight. He knew that above all, he had to stay warm. He could do without food or fire or sleep, but warmth he needed if he was to survive. So he gave up all hope of finding shelter from nature, instead placing his hope in outlasting it physically.

Link ran, hard at first till he stopped shivering, but slowed down to conserve what energy he had left. He kept his heart beating fast and his body burning fuel for as long as he could. And just in case anyone might have come looking for him or followed him, he ran in a general northerly direction back towards Hyrule. But after an hour, Link began to tire. His muscles ached and burned. Finally realizing the extent of his situation, he began to despair.

He walked on for a while, beginning to get delirious from the exhaustion and the cold, but as the lightening kept him night-blinded, he found it hard to do anything but stumble. Finally, his leg muscles seized. Link collapsed on the ground. His body shivered fiercely for a while, but soon it too gave up.

It occurred to Link that he might be on the verge of death, and he crawled to the base of a tree, wallowing in the insignificant shelter it provided him.

He cursed his own life. He had never known his own parents, was orphaned and brought up to live the arduous life of a farmer and wrangler, lost what contentment he had to save the not one, but two worlds, and ultimately lost the very thing he was fighting for.

At last, he let go of his pride and cried, and he gave up. Link prostrate himself on the ground, and between gritted teeth, furiously said to the goddesses, "You want me dead? I'm done resisting! I don't give a damn about this pathetic life you gave me anymore!" But in his delirious state, was betrayed by his memory.

_Link pulled the Master Sword from Gannon's cooling body, and wiped the black ichor on the grass, as the dark clouds began slightly parted in the sky. Zelda ran up to him, hardly daring to believe that the King of Evil was truly dead. "Link... you did it..." She watched as he calmly shielded his sword, then hugged him._

_She could sense he was still very troubled, though. She released him, and he turned to face the castle, and then... "I'm so sorry, Link. I'm sorry this had to come at such a terrible cost to you," Zelda said, barely able to restrain herself from crying at the mere thought pain he must be in as he stood transfixed; heart still beating, lungs still breathing, but dead on the inside._

_Before Link could respond, the horizon in the four cardinal directions grew bright. North, South, East, and West became like sunrises, chasing away the darkness of the sky. And on top of the very hill Link stared at, the lights converged._ _The Light Spirits themselves were aloft the hill, and silhouetted against Faron was the only thing that could have stirred Link from his capitulation._

_His grief became amazement, and he ran as fast as his legs could carry him, and as he reached the top of the hill, she stood up and turned towards him._ _What seemed to Link as a Goddess arosen from the ground to face him. Overtaken by awe and beauty, Link froze in his track._

_"What? Say something!" she demanded. But Link could only stare, not even realizing his mouth hung sllightly open._

_"Am I so beautiful you have no words left?"_

_Link finally overcame his astonishment and as his eyes began to water, was able to form a single word:_

_"Yes."_

_And he ran to her, took her in his arms and held her tight, promising to himself that he'd never let go, hardly noticing that she held him even closer._ _At last, Link allowed himself to loosen his embrace so that he might look upon her face again. "Midna, I though you were... I mean, Ganondorf had..." Link struggled to string words together, so Midna found a better use for his mouth, and met his lips with her own._

Link's delirium let up, as he remembered where he lay. The memory made him regret his resignation of his life moments prior, but it was too late. Before he could say anything, his vision went black, and he lost consciousness.


	5. The History of War

**Chapter 4: The History of War**

Link awoke, engulfed in utter darkness. He could see nothing around him, not the stars the moon, nor the sun, nor silhouettes against the night. Nothing. But he could see himself. He alone was visible in the vast darkness, he alone was illuminated, yet there were no lights, no fires, nothing to cast light upon him.

Link waved a hand directly in front of his body, but no shadow did it cast upon his skin. He began to feel disoriented, so he made as if to stand up. But when he placed his had upon the ground to push himself up, his hand made no contact, and he began to realize that none of his body was making contact with anything, nor could he feel the pull of the world. He felt like he was suspended but not falling, motionless but free to move, in a dark abyss.

Yet, for how disoriented he was, and drab his surroundings, he didn't find it bleak and lonely. As a matter of fact, though he could see no one else, he began to sense that he was not alone.

Then suddenly he noticed two faint lights at a great distance in front of and off to either side of him. As they got closer, he noticed the colour of the lights. One blue, and one green, both with streaks following behind, slowly getting brighter. As the streaks neared each other, bound to collide at an inconspicuous point far ahead of Link, a third, unsuspected red light passed through Link from behind, likewise headed toward the other two.

Not sure of what he was seeing, Link stared intensely. Finally, the three lights converged into one white light. The new, brighter, white light became a sphere, expanding at an incomprehensible rate. When the sphere overtook Link and began to fade, he could see that in its wake an entire world had been created.

As Link watched, a voice, seeming to originate from within Link's own thoughts, for he could not tell it he was actually hearing it or thinking it, began to speak to him. "Many ages ago, the Goddesses united their power and created your world. This is what you see before you now: your world, cold, unwelcoming, but in it's infancy."

Though he was still at a great distance, Link could see that the new world was flat, barren, and lifeless. "Then came forth Din, the embodiment of power, and wrought the raw earth into the mountains and valleys and oceans and plains you know." At this, Link watched as the red light moved over the world, upheaving earth here and depressing it there.

"Next came Nayru, full of wisdom, gave order and law to the world, that it may nurture life and be beautiful." Then Link saw the blue light pas over the world, giving life to rivers and volcanoes, the sky and clouds, and lastly, the stars, moon, and sun.

"At last came Farore, mother of all life, full of courage to create sentient beings." Now came the green light, and Link watched as it too passed across the world, everywhere it went green plants came to be, and animals to feed off the plants, and others to feed of those that consumed the plants.

And with a swift gut-retching sensation, Link was tugged onto the surface of the newly created world, into what he guessed was Hyrule field, but without pavements and cart paths and the castle on the horizon. Amongst him were the various tribes he had seen, and some he had not. "In the beginning, the world was full of life. Some races have since withered and fallen into obscurity, teetering on extinction, and there are some races whom truly no longer walk the world."

"Amongst those that yet dwell in the world are the Kokiri. Children of the very forest itself, they live carefree innocent lives, the very epitome of the beauty the goddesses hoped the world to be. They live far to the south of current Hyrule under the protection and tutelage of a noble spirit, manifesting as a lineage of great trees, protecting their everlasting innocence and perfect souls from the corrupt influences of the outside world." During this, Link saw many children, the oldest of which looked ten at most, and much to his surprise, all dresses seemingly identical to him.

"There are the race that you think of as your own, having spent your known life with them, the Humans. A peaceful race, but strong warriors, both physically and mentally, when such need arises. But they are not your race. You are of Hylian decent, a people naturally empathetic and intelligent, the natural rulers and peacekeepers of the land, ever fair minded, and capable of wielding magic.

"Then there are the Sheikah, similar in appearance and character to the Hylians, but not without their difference. The Sheikah make for fiercer warriors, being stronger in both magic and body. But they are a loyal race, following strongly in the traditions set before them.

"Amongst the races you have already met are the Goron and Zora, the people of the mountain and river, yet bearing many of the same qualities of pride and honour, as you have seen.

"But the race that has influenced the events of this world more than any other, and much for the worse, had been annihilated ages ago. There was never any word for their race in the modern Hylian tounge, but they were once called the N'dai, though, to the few legends old enough to make reference to them, they are simple the Ancient Ones."

And thus the Voice began a telling of the great history of the world:

The N'dai were, by far, the most powerful of the magic users, but knew nothing but greed, and deceit. They lived in the shadows, ever fearful and jealous of the other tribes. It wasn't long after the creation of the world that they first attempted to conquer it, feeling they alone knew how to use power.

They didn't think the other tribes would unite against them, for such cooperation was unknown to them. But when they first set an entire village of Hylians ablaze, men woman and children, all the races banded together. Under such sudden resistance, many of the N'dai were slaughtered, and they withdrew far from the other tribes, swearing vengeance.

The N'dai, consumed by lust for power above all else, mourned heaviest for the loss of not their kin, but of the loss of magic of those mages. Over the years, they developed rituals so that the magic of the tribe would be retained after the death of its members. They created two artifacts, a mask and a great stone helm, that could entomb the souls and magic of dying members of the tribe.

Once near death, a N'dai would have either artifact bound to their head as they were sacrificed, painfully murdered on an alter. The soul of the victim would become forever imprisoned within the artifact, their magic adding to its power. In time, they even became sentient, especially the mask, which took a name for itself: Majora.

Generations went by. The N'dai kept sacrificing lives to the artifacts, while in the rest of the world, unease grew between the races. As tribes settled down and started building and farming, disputes over who owned what land arose. The humans, being rather peaceful, and the Hylians, being empathetic and intelligent, came to an agreement with each other and cooperated for the benefit of both races, and they grew in power and number far surpassing any of the other tribes.

The Kokiri, in fear and advisement from their guardian deity, retreated far away from the violence, into a forest far to the south.

But amongst the Zora, Gorons, and Sheikah, competition grew fierce, till battles starting arising between tribes. During the course of one of these battles, the Gorons and Zoras, under a temporary truce sacked one of the larger towns of the Sheikah in a retaliation the Sheikah saw as entirely unjust. There were only a few survivors, children mostly, for they weren't perceived as a threat.

These children banded together and lived off the land. They grew hard and strong in the wild, and did anything to survive. They knew little of the world outside of their destroyed town, so they knew not where they would find help. All they knew was hatred for every other race.

One day, they came across an encampment of Zora, and though they were outnumbered five to one, they waylaid the camp with no casualties of their own, for in the wilderness they had learned exceptional stealth and cunning. Outraged, the Zoras marched against the nearest town to the encampment, thinking they were the perpetrators of the ambush.

It was a fierce battle. The town was nearly destroyed, but the Zora received to many casualties to fully destroy the town and retreated. The small band of sheikah came across the town many days later, further fuelling their rage at the other races, for they had not realized that they were the cause of the destruction.

They absorbed the many survivors into their own ranks, greatly swelling in number, and took to training them in the wild as they had trained themselves. With the knowledge that came with the older members, the band travelled from town to town, accumulating survivors and vigilantes alike, constantly increasing their number, and waylaying enemy soldiers whenever possible. But their number was still relatively small, and their damage limited. Having seen more wreckage and death in the war than anyone else because of their constant travelling, the band of Sheikah were consumed by their own bitterness for everyone else.

The N'dai never totally withdrew from the lands, and as the battles amongst the tribes grew more fierce and violent, they were naturally drawn to the blood, like moths to flame. They even became like thieves in the night, darting this way and that, stealing food, murdering people as they slept, until they made a potentially fatal mistake and some of them tried to murder a few scouts of the renegade Sheikah.

The offending N'dai were quickly overtaken and captured. The N'dai, never knowing honour, begged and pleaded for their lives. The Sheikah tried to bargain with them, to see if there was anything they could get in return for letting them live. The N'dai told them about enchanted weapons and armour, and were quick to notice the bloodlust of the Sheikah.

They N'dai quickly got the upper hand in the negotiations once they found the Sheikah's weak spot. Powerful spells capable of drying up rivers and bringing down mountains were of particular interest. The N'dai built up the hope of the Sheikah for mass vengeance against the Zoras and Gorons, until they were completely ensnared by the thought that the N'dai were no longer their prisoners, but potential liberators from a life of oppression by other races.

Seeing this as the opportune moment to make due on their sworn vengeance, the N'dai and renegade Sheikah formed a truce. The N'dai, with the aid of the artifacts in which they entombed the power and souls of many generations, incited natural disasters, destroying towns and cities of Gorons, Zora, Hylians, and Humans, while the renegade sheikah instigated disputes by making it appear that one race had ambushed camps and small villages of other races.

Eventually, when all the races were so weak they were hardly perceived to be a threat, the aggressors came forward and demanded the all the races unconditionally surrender. The Humans and Hylians complied, but the Zora and Gorons, full of the pride of their race, would have rather fought to the death than submit to another race, and the rest of the Sheikah were outraged and felt betrayed by the treachery of their own kind, they too swore to undo the damage by their own tribe, deeming the traitors to be but interlopers.

Of the Interlopers, the Sheikah were smart enough to know to treat the surrendered Hylians and Humans decently, knowing they could unbalance the war effort should they turn. They taught them the magics they knew that would help with farming, hunting, building, and other day to day fare.

But the N'dai, full of hate and vengeance against all things, treated them like subservients. Houses would be torched for the amusement of the N'dai, goods and food stolen, women raped.

And in the mean time, the war was going on in the rest of the world. The Interlopers met little resistance by the other united tribes, and victory was a sure thing, until a sudden change in strategy on the part of the resistance.

In secret, the Hylians and Humans formed an alliance with the Resistance in response to the abuse of their captors, but needed to be liberated from their captivity before they could help. So the full force of the Resistance then fought toward the lands of the captives, and as they invaded, the Humans and Hylians fled to the furthest sections of their lands as the Interlopers met the invading armies, likewise with all their power, hoping to finally annihilate the resistance.

Once the Interlopers were entirely engaged in the fighting, the Humans and Hylians armed themselves and attacked them from behind while the Resistance continued their attack from the front. The Interlopers, now fighting a war on two fronts with no supplies, quickly started loosing.

But the N'dai had one more desperate card to play. They abandoned the Sheikah they were allied with and fled to their sacred grounds. The interloping Sheikah then had no choice left but to surrender or flee.

The N'dai, in an act of desperation, sacrificed many of their surviving people to Majora, filling it with more of their own hatred. They intended to set it loose upon the world, that the mask, empowered with generations of the N'dai, would annihilate everyone that remained alive in the world. The only thing capable of resisting it was the Fused Shadow which they also controlled.

It was at this moment that as all the inhabitants of the world unknowingly stood upon the brink of destruction after having just won a long and arduous war, the goddesses sent forth the four Light Spirits. They wrathfully broke the Fused Shadow and imprisoned the N'dai and Majora together, so that the remaining N'dai were destroyed by their own horrible creation.

And as for what remained of the Interlopers, the hiding Sheikah, the Light Spirits banished them to the shadow of the world they had tried to conquer, so that they would always be tortured knowing that they were bound to, but could never be a part of the world they coveted.

All the while Link was being told the history, he saw the events recreated before him on the very world he just saw form. He saw the battles and the innumerable deaths, the rivers run red with blood, mountains collapse on cities of Gorons and entire lakes boiling schools of Zora alive... He had heard legends and fragments up to now, but seeing the horror of the war first hand was a completely different experience than anything he had known.

The voice continued, "To prevent anything like this from ever happening again, the Light Spirits allowed a portal between worlds to exist, the mirror. One representative from each of the races was summoned: a Human; a Hylian; a Zora; a Goron; a Kokiri; and a Sheikah. Each were made into Sages, that they may protect the mirror and when needed protect Hyrule by banishing any who might unjustly try to conquer to the shadow world.

"Unfortunately, when the greatest need for banishment arose, when the threat of Ganondorf was to be eliminated, a flaw in the system was exposed. Ganondorf discovered an oversight of ours and was able to return to the light world. And now he roams free again, waiting until he comes up with a plan to try and annihilate hyrule again."

Link was suddenly confused, having already killed Ganondorf, and recently reliving the experience in delusion. "I killed him. I ran him through with the blade that by legend should kill him. You even... You even revived Midna after I killed him!"

"Alas Hero, you did not destroy him. Many times has his body been pierced by that blade, but always, in time, he heals. And as for the Twilight Princess, she was a decedent of the Interlopers. But she sacrificed her life to destroy an evil so great that we had not been able to stop ourselves. For that, we resurrected her, and returned her not only to her body before being cursed, but undid what the intervening millenia of her race adapting to the twilight had done to her body. We made her as close to what she would have looked like had her race never left the light world as she would let us. We thought we were rewarding her, until she left and broke the mirror."

Link didn't know which line of questions forming in his head he should ask, whether he should be more interested in Midna's story, or more concerned about Ganondorf's return. But as luck would have it, he didn't have time to ask either.

"Time draws ever shorter, Link. You must return to your body now, and it to hyrule. Seek the sages."

Suddenly, Link found himself in the world again. He was laying on the saturated ground, without clothing, and cold, but he had survived the night. Epona was laying on the ground, her back against him, so he could feel the warmth of her body as she partially shielded him from the weather.

Link tried to stand up again, but every muscle in his body protested. He could hardly bend any joints, and his breathing was laboured. The amount of work it took to sit up concerned him, and so did the fact that doing so winded him and made him light headed, as his stomach heaved its limited contents back into his mouth.

From his new vantage point, he could see that there was a particularly dry section of the grass, and neatly upon that dry spot was his undergarments, chain mail, and tunic, with everything else still packed away on Epona.

With great difficulty and a newly emptied stomach, he got dressed, mounted Epona, spurred her on, and passed out once more on the saddle.

* * *

It was the silence that hit her the hardest. No clap nor cough broke it. She stood on the stairs, whit the eyes of everyone who could squeeze into the town square staring at her.

She knew they blamed her, and would for some time. In their eyes, the death of every mother, daughter, husband and son was her fault. She surrendered with hardly a fight.

Next to her stood Auru, Ashei, and Shad, and their presence comforted her, and she hoped it helped the unease of the populace a little. But Link was nowhere to be seen, and she knew they noticed.

She had hoped that Link would have been there, then the people would have loved her for it, and for the confidence he placed in her. But his absence spoke volumes. Inaccurate volumes, perhaps, but the people wouldn't know that. All they knew is that the Princess, in explaining what had happened over the preceding few months, and of the complete intervention of the Hero, did so with no word or hint as to his whereabouts, as if after rescuing the land, wanted nothing to do with it.

She retreated back to the castle, which by this time, the main foundation had been mostly repaired. Once within the sanctuary of her own quarters and seated behind her desk, she started rummaging through all the papers, collecting all the drafts of her speech and notes of the events into one pile and stowing it, making room for the next bit of business. Damage reports and financial assessments had been coming in for the last few weeks that now needed tending.

The treasury had surprisingly gone untouched during the twilight invasion, but the amount of damage done to the rest of the kingdom was significant. Bridges needed rebuilding, roads as well, nearly all the buildings in Kakariko needed significant repair, the damage to the castle and the defenses around castle town were pretty severe... Zelda was exhausted just thinking about it all, but it was her job, so she persevered.

Not far away, within the walls of castle town, one of the local merchants, or rather ex-merchants since Malo opened up a store within the castle walls, was pouring over the very same documents. Varnum was a scholar, educated in politics and economics, and also was a keen observer of people. He could figure out a persons insecurities quickly, which had made him an excellent salesman, successfully charging unreasonable fees for the most common of goods.

Now, with a sense of misplaced rage, or possibly just extorting the current precarious situation, he had a new scheme. He had developed a network of spies throughout the kingdom, some people he persuaded by convincing them the ruling class was corrupt, or incompetent, some he simply blackmailed. Now, hardly a whisper could reach the Princesses ears without him hearing about it.

Not only did he have spies, but fellow conspirators as well. None were as crafty as him, but all had something to gain by helping him. Amongst his company, and the only person with him at the moment, was Mikel, the captain of the Royal Guard.

"So what's the plan now?" Mikel wondered. "Should we be concerned about the Princess's speech?"

"No," replied Varnum. "You were there. You saw the lack of response from the crowd. They're just as uneasy as they ever were. While giving the entire, honest story was the respectful and proper thing to do on Zelda's part, it will be some time before they see it as such. For now, she has only invited their unease upon herself."

"So do we move now, then? Or are we still waiting for something?"

"For now, we wait. Not all our pieces are in place. Not to mention that we cannot account for her most important piece. Link could destroy everything we've been working for without even trying. All he has to do is show up at the right time, or smile at Zelda in public. The people love him too much for us to make a move while we don't know where he is."

"But if we wait too long..."

"Yes, I know. The people are fickle. The longer we delay, the more they forget and move on, and the less support we will have. But for now, I have something that will buy us more time."

Varnum handed the reports he had been reading to Mikel, who failed to understand their significance.

"Basically, no matter the Princess does, this country is headed for financial ruin," he continued with a smile.

"And that's a good thing?"

"It is for us."


	6. Secret Friends and Secret Enemies

**a.k.a. New Life of a Young Hero**

**Hey look, You _can_ change the name of a story!**

**Also: Prologue (A Remembrance) has been rewritten. Important plot elements that were are no longer there, and things that were no longer there have been written in. Read it, or you'll get confused in later chapters!**

* * *

Chapter 5: Secret Friends and Secret Enemies

The storm had passed, and Link rode north, back to Hyrule. His exposure to the weather had weakened him considerably; he shook from being thoroughly cold, felt tired, and as the day wore on, developed a cough. To make things worse, much of his travel food was ruined by the rain.

As Link began to wonder if he got turned around, he found a familiar landmark from the day before. He dismounted Epona and walked over to the familiar stream to refill his bota, and after a quick drink, decided this would be a good time and place for a quick break, as he had been riding all day.

Mostly for the warmth, he decided to build a small fire, so he found a small rocky overhang that had been slightly sheltered from the weather.

What leaves and pine needles he could find were gathered, as well as any wood and twigs and branches that weren't waterlogged. With much difficulty, Link was able to ignite some of the leaves with an arrow head and a flint piece he tried to keep on himself at all times. He added the twigs, but they didn't catch, but let off steam instead.

Again, he made a small pile of leaves and needles, and again they lit. He leaned the same handful of twigs over the small flame. They steamed, hisses, and even popped a couple times, then by and by began to burn. Link added some larger wood. Flames licked the new branches, and they too hissed, but the tiny flames of the twigs died before the larger fuel caught fire.

To prevent from becoming too frustrated, Link changed tasks and walked over to Epona to fetch some food from his saddlebags. He ate his jerky and sipped some water, staring at the stream to keep calm. Finally, Link turned to head back to his fire, but what he saw made his hand instinctively go to Epona to grab his sword.

A middle-aged man in a bulky cloak was huddled over Link's failed fire. He was blowing on the embers to keep them hot, and when they started glowing bright red, he pulled something out of his cloak, something that looked like wood, but rather square shaped, and set it on the hot embers. In seconds, it burst into flames. The man immediately began setting more fuel over the flames.

Link felt certain that if the man wanted to harm him, he would have tried by know, instead of lighting a fire. Link was also curious to know what that block that lit so easily was, so he headed over and sat directly opposite the man, with the fire between them.

Neither spoke, and Link just watched the man build up the fire. Finally, the man smiled at the fire, pleased with his work, and positioned himself more comfortably. Link finally got a good glimpse of him then: slightly older than Rusl's age, about two weeks of a beard, unkempt long black hair, red irises, and a cloak of patches of different colors of trees and grass and dirt, making it harder to see him. Link figured it was a good time to start talking, and asked "What did you add to the embers that caught so easily?"

The man laughed, and pulled another one from the folds of his cloak, tossing it to Link. "This? It's just a mix of sawdust and sap. Great for getting a good flame quickly in a pinch. Keep that one."

"Thanks. I guess the next question is who are you, and why did you start my fire?"

"As for who I am, well, let's just say I'm a traveller. I've lived in these parts likely almost as long as you've been alive. As for why I helped you, you looked like you could use it. Was I wrong?"

"You're probably right. I wasn't really ready for the storm last night." Link shivered at the memory.

"Here, you can borrow this for a while." The man stood up and removed his cloak, and handed it to Link.

Link put on the cloak, feeling immediately warmed by the remaining body heat from it's previous wearer. "Thanks again. I don't know how to even repay you."

The man politely smiled again. "You don't need to. Consider this my repayment to you."

Link stiffened and grew suspicious of the man at his hint that he knew who Link was. Link discretely glanced to Epona, gauging the distance to his sword. But nothing was too discrete for the stranger; he saw Link's glance and knew what it meant, trying to ease him with, "Relax, I'm not an enemy."

"Then who are you, exactly?"

"I am, among other things, one of the people responsible for freeing the children of your village from the Bulblin raiding party."

Link knew better than to take the man at his word, instead growing only suspicious at the man's knowledge of the event. "Why? What other things? Who are the other people?"

The man simply laughed softly to himself. "What do you know of the Sheikah?"

Link answered accusingly, "That there is only one surviving member of that race, and I've met her."

"Are you sure? Did Impaz tell you that she was the only surviving member of her race, or that she was the last resident of our village? ...Judging by your silence, I take it you don't remember. Tell me, does this symbol look familiar to you?"

He rolled up his sleeve, exposing a red tattoo on his upper arm. Link saw an eye, with a tear drop coming from it, and three triangles above it. He knew he had seen it before, but couldn't remember where, so he said nothing.

"It's the symbol of our race, and very ancient at that. It's a permanent reminder our racial vow to protect the Royal Family of Hyrule, and Hyrule itself."

Link, maintaining the accusing tone, replied "Funny, I don't recall seeing anyone else doing much protecting of anything."

"We were aware of the advancing twilight well before you were, we're just powerless against it. The bulblins were as effected as we were, so we took care of them, but there were these beasts... No weapon we had was effective against them. And worse... one of my men tried his luck in direct combat, but the beasts somehow revived each other, and he was stuck within a barrier they conjured. First man I've ever lost in combat."

Link saw some genuine sorrow on the man's face. Either the supposed Sheikah was a tremendous actor, or there was some truth to his story.

"But as to why you never saw us, we were forbidden to directly assist you."

"Forbidden? By who? Who the hell could forbid an entire race thought to be extinct to helping in a time of-"

"The Sages," he interrupted Link. "They knew that, if you kept interfering in Ganondorf's scheme, he would eventually do everything in his power to strip you of all your friends and allies, and destroy you when you were alone. Were they wrong?"

Link wanted to be mad, but the Sheikah was right. Despite the Resistance, Midna, and Zelda, he still found himself in a gruelling, relentless one-on-one with Ganondorf, and still just barely managed a victory.

"And you may not realize it, but one of your biggest strengths was that you worked almost alone. Even _we_ had difficulty keeping track of where you were, despite our best efforts. If you marched across all of Hyrule with a host of Sheikah, it would have been a simple matter for Ganondorf to send a horde of monsters or, even worse, those beasts from the twilight, after you and kill everyone."

Link began to relax. The Sheikah's story sounded solid to him, and he was beginning to trust the older man. Link had just one more question: "So what's your name, anyway?"

"Saer." Saer smiled, knowing he had finally won some confidence from Link. "Well, now that I think you're satisfied with who I am, I hope you won't mind a question I have for you. Where are you heading? You're going the opposite direction you were yesterday, and there are no Hyrulean settlements in the direction you're headed."

"Honestly, I don't really know," Link began, wondering how much he should tell Saer. "Basically, after everything that's happened, I don't know where I should be, or where I should go. So I just decided to leave."

"Nothing from your old life brings the same comfort it once did, huh? According to the legend of the Hero of Time, he went through something similar. Ultimately, he too left Hyrule, after trying to live a regal life that was given to him as a reward, and after trying to return to his old life in the forest. It's a shame really."

Link laughed to himself and stared at the fire. "Yeah. Didn't he leave to find a friend that he had lost? Someone who had helped him through his journey?"

"So the legend goes. It was his fairy, Navi. I guess that, besides his horse, he felt that she was the only friend who understood him, and who's friendship wasn't strained."

Link bitterly laughed as he related to the legendary hero.

"I thought that's where you were headed. To find your companion." Link looked up in surprise, and felt annoyed that this stranger knew of his treasured memory. Saer continued, "I didn't mean to startle you. I never saw her myself."

Link relaxed. "No, I'm not looking for her. She is beyond my reach."

"Since you don't seem to want to talk about it, back to my question, why the sudden change in direction back to Hyrule?"

Link remained quiet for a moment before answering. "I may be wrong about this. I hope I'm wrong. But Ganondorf may have survived. In a dream, or maybe is was more than a dream, I was told that he may still be alive, and that I should seek out the advice of the Sages. This was last night."

Saer took a moment to ponder this. "This is grave news indeed. I'll spread word throughout the Sheikah to be watchful for any sign or suspicion. It's probably best that you get on your way as soon as possible, too. Who knows what time we may have."

Link enjoyed the warmth of the fire a little while longer, then stood up. He began removing the cloak he had been lent to return it.

"Please, I'd be honored if you would keep it. You need it more than me it would seem, and as you may have noticed, the patchwork on it makes it hard to see in the wilderness."

Link returned to Epona and mounted his steed. "I know you're just doing this to show your thanks, but I appreciate the fire and the cloak anyway. Perhaps we'll meet again."

"If it is meant to be, Link, and I hope it is. Till then, I hope you will allow me to do you one more favor. Since it's so close to noon, it's hard to get a good bearing, but you were headed almost straight north this morning. The quickest way back to Hyrule is actually slightly west. It should be about a two day ride north-northwest from here."

And with a farewell, Link spurred Epona back to Hyrule.

As Saer had said, it was a two day ride, but even with his directions, Link hadn't gone westward enough and rode into the southern edge of the Faron Woods. He spent one more night there and rode into Castle Town on the third evening.

There was a tension in the air through the town, so more than ever, Link didn't want any attention drawn to him. He slackened his baldric so the pommel of his sword hung below his shoulder, making hard to notice unless you were looking, drew his cloak about him and removed his green cap, and entered the bar. The only member of the Resistance who was there was Telma, though.

"Telma, where is everyone?"

"Well, now that everything is over, they all have lives to return to, Link. But hey, you're here! Let me get you a brew, it's on the house!"

"I'd love to Telma, but I can't. I'm sort of in a rush."

"I know what you mean, honey. Hey, let me get this order over to that table and we can talk."

Link just then noticed how busy it was. The tables were full, the bar was almost full, there were even people at the old meeting table in the back. He saw the large map rolled up and shoved in the corner, and it saddened him to see a piece of his journey tucked away and forgotten, replaced by loud drunks and tankards and stains.

And it wasn't just busy either. Link found the atmosphere even a little intimidating. There was no laughing, no cheering. Everyone seemed angry about something, and trying to yell over everyone else's frustration.

Link found a seat at the bar, and tried to pick up scraps of conversations. The only peoplpe he could make out were those sitting next to him.

"All I'm sayin' is she's got no damn plan."

"I realize that, but that's leaked information. There's no telling just how accurate it is."

"And you're drunk. It's clouding yer judgement. It's clear as day she's too young."

"You don't know what your talking about, smithy. That Link boy is even younger than her, and look

what he did."

"That's different. He proved his medal. What's she done besides surrender and let out country fall

apart?"

"Like I always say, some people are born great, and some will never be great. I think we should make that kid king."

"Listen to him, men!" the smithy shouted to no one in particular, "Even a drunk can occasionally speak wisdom."

Link snorted in laughter and disdain at the last remark, but apparently did so louder than he thought.

The smithy turned to him, "What? You don't think so? What would a kid like you know of these matters?" Link maintained his silence, which only aggravated the man further.

"Are you even old enough to be in an establishment like this? Get out, you little punk, or I'll beat you out... Did you hear me?"

Link turned toward the aggressor, and said "long live the Queen."

The smithy snatched Link by the collar of his cloak, saying "you've got a lot to learn, you brat, and I have half a mind to beat a few lessons into you if you don't get out of here, and now."

Link replied, "Shame you were only _born_ with half a brain."

Link saw the large fist of the smithy aiming to collide with the side of his head. Link slammed the knuckles on his fist into the the boney back of the hand that was restraining him. He hit the nerve in the hand, causing the fingers to open allowing link to duck under the large fist.

He staggered back, taking stock of his situation. Other people near the bar were noticing the fight, but watched with interest rather than help either side or break it up. Link sized up the smithy. He was very muscular, and judging by that punch was surprisingly fast for his size, or perhaps swinging his hand like that is just a well practised movement. Link guessed the smithy's weakness would be to move his large, muscular body rapidly.

The smithy swung again at his head, Giving Link the chance to test his theory. Link ducked the punch, side stepped, and rolled behind the man. It was the back-slice, but instead of a sword, Link forcefully kicked the back of the smithy's knee, causing him fall to his other knee. Link then landed a well aimed punch at the back of the man's head, his knuckles delivering most of the force at the soft spot where the spine meets the brain. He fell on his face, unconscious.

Just then, he heard Telma shouting over the crowd, "Hey, no fighting in my bar. Take it outside if you want to brawl, but not without paying your... Link! What did you do?"

"He started it. Ask anyone who watched."

Before Telma had a chance to do so, the drunk the smithy had been arguing with interrupted. "Wait, Link? _The_ Link? Bless my beard! That was quite a fight, dear boy. Took the smithy down in seconds! Wait till I tell him who knocked him cold tomorrow! Boy will he feel mighty foolish."

Telma glared at Link. "As much as I would have liked to see you fight, I'll have to ask that you not do it again in my bar. Without my permission, that is," she added with a wink. Link nodded his head. "So Link, what is it that brought you here?"

"I can't tell you much, but remember how you said that now everything was done, everyone went back to their lives? Well, I hope I'm wrong about this, but it might not be over. The man behind everything might have survived, and I can't even guess what he might be up to. I need you to get the word out for me, to Rusl, Ashei, Shad, and Auru, to be on their guard, and watchful of anything suspicious."

Telma looked stunned for moment. "Yeah, of course I can do that, honey. With news like that, they might all meet back here by the end of the week. Want me to tell them to do just that so you can talk to them yourself?"

"No. I don't know how much time I have should my worst fears prove true. I also don't know the fist thing about what to expect, so there's be no sense in all of us meeting up just yet. I'm going to see the princess, and I'll be leaving town later this evening."

"Good luck then. If there's anything I can do to help, let me know!"

"Thanks Telma. Oh, one more thing," Link added with a smile, nudging the smithy with the toe of his boot, "Sorry about the mess."

Link left the bar and made way towards the castle grounds. He was stopped at the gates just north of the fountain in the town square by a couple of guards, who said, "No one may pass but those with permission of the Princess."

Link would generally be reluctant to be too forthcoming about his identity, but he didn't want to waste time scouting for a gap in the defence and sneaking in. "I am Link of Ordon. You know me by my deeds, and I assure you that the princess will want to hear what I have to say without delay."

"We were instructed Link to pass, and were told that may know him when we see him by the sword he carries."

Link threw his cloak behind his left shoulder, tugged on his baldric to raise the sheath, and drew the Master Sword.

The guard was surprised, and said, "I always thought it was only a myth. My apologies, Link of Ordon. You may pass."

The guards let Link through the gate. He walked up the familiar path, trying to notice all the work that had been done since his last visit. The bridge over the moat had been mostly rebuilt, and most of the ground floor of the castle had been rebuilt, or at least framed out in timber. As late in the evening as it was, he wasn't surprised that no one was working on the castle, but he did notice a suspicious lack of the equipment he has seen on building sites.

He arrived at the front entry way, where another guard asked him his purpose. He readied himself to show his sword again, but when he said he intended to see Zelda, the guard bowed to Link and asked him to remain where he was as he tried to locate the Princess.

Soon enough, he returned, but not with Zelda. With him was a vaguely familiar face to Link, Captain Mikel. "Link, it's a pleasure to see you again. At the moment, Princess Zelda is talking to Lord Harled. She shouldn't be occupied too long, and I have alerted her to your visit."

"Alright, thanks. I'll just wait here, I guess."

"Actually, Link, if you would walk with me for a moment, I would like to discuss something with you." Mikel guided Link inside and began talking quietly. "I don't know how much you've been around lately, but things are growing unstable around town. There have been treats of violence against the Royalty, and even among the citizens, blackmail and kidnapping and the like."

Link replied, as quietly as Mikel had. "I noticed things seemed rather tense , but I had no idea it was that bad. And who's been kidnapped? Royalty? Guards? Merchants? And who's being blackma-"

Mikel interrupted with a sudden increase in volume, "Don't worry about it, things aren't as bad as you think." They reached the end of the hall and turned a corner. "It's nothing the Royal Guard can't handle."

Link was perplexed. Mikel was trying to be secretive about something, but manner obvious to Link. Link responded with an equally loud volume, "Mikel, I noticed there are a lot fewer guards around town than there used to be. How come?"

Mikel snapped his head at Link, shaking his head and his eyes wide, the obvious expression for _'don't talk about it',_ and said again in the louder voice, "We felt their service was no longer needed, and that they'd be better put to use on the construction crews." In barely more than a whisper, he added "blackmail... kidnap."

Link heard footsteps faintly in the distance, and said in a normal volume, "So Mikel, the castle seems to be coming along."

Mikel gave him a curious look, but then must have heard the footsteps too, and stated, "Yes, the crew really knows what they're doing. They are ahead of the schedule that they set for themselves." Mikel talked about the steps that had gone into rebuilding the castle till the footsteps grew louder and the guard they belonged to opened a door and walked past them. Link asked questions about the construction until they heard nothing more. Link whispered, "I understand. Don't risk yourself anymore."

Mikel nodded, and resumed talking at a normal volume. "So Link, where did you go after you left the dessert."

Link felt a stab in his heart at this unexpected question. "North. After the last few months, I wanted to just wander around at my own leisure. Speaking of which, how familiar are you with the borders of Hyrule?"

Link and Mikel uneasily talked for a while. What sounded like small talk to any eavesdropper, and even to Mikel most likely, was an intentionally directed conversation by Link. He learned of the lands around Hyrule, the boarder towns and farmlands and villages even further away than Ordon or Kakariko. Link had just learned that Ordon used to be pretty close to the old Castle Town, which is why the ruins of the Temple of Time were there, but before he could ask what happened to the old town

Zelda found them.

"I'm terribly sorry for keeping you, Link. And Mikel, thanks for entertaining our guest."

Mikel bowed to both of them, "Your Highness, it was my pleasure. Link, I hope you enjoy your long stay in town." Link noticed the subtle emphasis on 'long' and thought on it, but said "I must make a trip to the dessert, unfortunately," and bowed back to Mikel, not sure what the proper etiquette was.

"So Link, what brings you back to the castle?"

"We need to talk. In private."

Zelda guided Link to her chambers, and remarked, "I was hoping this would just be a social visit, but judging by your urgency and your reputation for only being where you need to be, I'm going to guess that's not the case. So what is it? Is Ganondorf taking over the world again?" Zelda smiled, trying to make a joke.

Link stared at her, uncertain how to respond to that comment.

Zelda's face went white, and she sat on her bed for support. She thought she knew when Link's silence meant. "But how? I thought you... I watched you... How can he even be alive?"

"Wait, before you get ahead of yourself, I didn't say anything about him taking over the world. He might be alive. That's all I know. I need to talk to the sages. This is an evil that can only be overcome by you and me, together. If we can't defeat Him, then no one can."

Zelda raised an eyebrow at the last two lines. They sounded uncharacteristically tacky for Link. Link saw the eyebrow and raised a finger to his lips, then said, "It's pretty stuffy in here, don't you think?" He walked over to the glassless window and pushed open the shutters. Deliberately, he pushed them as far out as he could, sticking as much of his body out the window as he could manage, casually looking around.

He stared outside for a while, discretely looking for anyone unusually close to the window, leaving Zelda confused. Finally, he said, "Never mind, it's to cold out here," and pulled the shutters closed and latched them. Link sat next to Zelda on her bed so he could talk as quietly as possible. "Also, I think you're being watched. I don't know why, I don't know by who, but be careful. Don't trust anyone."

"I know. It's not called the Triforce of Wisdom for nothing. I'm trying to figure out who is loyal to me, and who would gain the most from betraying me. I have a few people in mind that might be behind this, but it's hard to figure this out when I'm so busy with everything else"

"People are being blackmailed and kidnapped. You can't trust anyone in the town, except for myself and the resistance when they're here. Actually, it might be best if you hired them as a personal guard or something similar."

"Are you asking for me to create a new position just so I can hire you? Why Link, if you want to spend more time around me, all you have to do is ask."

Link was bewildered at that comment, and his reaction made Zelda uncontrollably laugh. When Link realized she was joking, he laughed too, adding, "you spent too much time with Midna."

"Perhaps. But that's not a bad suggestion, actually. I take it you won't take the job though?"

"No. Not now, at least. I mean to reach the dessert by tomorrow night so I can cross it while it's cool, and get to Arbiter's Grounds by the morning after. There's a good chance the rest of the group will be in town by the end of the week. If you take my advice, do so in secret, and don't trust any messenger, they will make your plan known, and may not even deliver your message. Go to them in person, and disguised so no one else harasses you or sees you."

"I think that I will do just that, at least till I hear back from you. How long do you think you'll be gone?"

"I can't say. Maybe I'm wrong about everything and I'll be back sooner than you know, maybe the sages will tell me I need to track him down immediately and you won't hear from me for who knows how long. Expect the worst, and only trust who I told you."

"I see. You seem to be in a rush, so I won't ask you to stay longer than you need to. But is there anything I can help you with? Food for the road, perhaps?"

Link accepted her offer, and while a servant gathered the supplies, Link started whispering again. "Zelda, I figure you should know this just in case something should happen. Below the south eastern parapet is the water way. I don't remember all the turns and details, but-"

"But I do, and it leads to to many places. You really don't give me enough credit, Link. I figured that was how you found me when you were cursed."

Link smiled. "Well, perhaps I don't give you enough credit. I guess my business here is done. As soon as that servant gets back-" There was a knock on the door, which was the very same servant who had fetched rations for Link. "Well Zelda, take care."

To Link's surprise, Zelda got up and hugged him. She wished him good luck, and he was gone, bound for the dessert.

* * *

"And?"

"And what?"

"Where is Link going? How long will he be gone?"

"I don't know. We didn't talk about it."

"I can always tell when you lie, Mikel. You're eye twitches slightly. Don't make this harder than it has to be."

"He left for the dessert. He didn't say how long he'd be gone, but for most people, that would be a two week trip, there and back." Technically, this wasn't a lie, as most people don't know how to traverse that dessert like Link does, and Link would hopefully be riding most of the way instead of walking. Mikel could only hope that Link would return earlier than that and upset the plans.

"There! Now wasn't that easier? Look on the bright side, you may get your family back sooner than you know."

"Varnum, before this is over, I'm going to kill you."

"Now now, no need to be so hostile, Mikel. Do I need to send you another one of your daughters fingers?"

* * *

**I went with something new this chapter: actual plot. Tell me whatcha think!**


	7. Revolution

**Chapter 6: Revolution**

Link left castle town by the south road, and called Epona once he was at the base of the steps. The sun was setting, and he had been up since first light that morning. He felt tiredness begin to weigh his feet down, but he wanted to get some distance covered before he rested.

After Ganondorf's defeat, one of the first plans Zelda put into motion was to create a road between the Gerudo Desert and Hyrule Proper. She had thought, or at least hoped, that a fruitful relationship would form between the Light and Shadow Realms. But as soon as the roads had become remotely passable, they were used to get to the Mirror Chamber, where Zelda's hopes weren't the only to be dashed.

This was the very road Link now planned on taking again; it was, in fact, actually two roads, and only one was new. The old forgotten road that lead to the desert from the lake was only cleared, and from there, only a road to the lake from Hyrule Field needed to be made.

Just being on the road again surfaced a painful memory in Link's mind. He kept himself distracted as he could, pondering how Ganondorf might have survived, and what his plans might be. Nothing practical came from his musings but distraction, which was really all he sought at the present time.

At the lake, he rested briefly as did Epona, and he thought of what to take with him. He wanted to take as little as possible so that he'd be able to cross the desert in as little time he could, especially if there were no bullbos he could ride near the entrance to the desert, for Epona would need too much water to take her with him, and there would be no suitable food for her either.

The sun was beginning to rise, so Link continued on for a few hours with Epona before leaving the road to find a well shaded area to make camp; since he wanted to cross the desert at night, he had remained awake the night before so he could sleep during the day.

He made a shelter sufficiently dark to sleep in by felling a lush sapling pine with his sword, removing all the branches, and leaning the spar between a fork in another tree and the ground. The removed branches he leaned in an alternating pattern on the sides of the spar, the dense needles effectively blocking out much of the midday light.

There he rested, and longer than he had planned to. By the time he had woken, the sun was low in the evening sky. Hastily, he packed the minimal rations and equipment he had earlier thought to bring: the Ordon Sword, for it was lighter and smaller than the Master Sword; his bow and only about a dozen arrows, because he already destroyed the bulblin camp and there were not many other living threats in the desert; what little food he decided to bring; and ample water.

He slapped Epona's hindquarters, sending her back down to the lake, and continued on foot. The evening turned to night before he had reached the desert, and he cursed himself for his overlong rest. Nigh two hours after sunset, he came to a point where the walls of the road diverged away from him suddenly, exposing the wide, flat desert he vaguely knew.

At the end of the road and off to the side, Link came upon what appeared to be a very small cairn. He examined it, and though it was dark and the moon was but a sliver, ha noticed that the rock on top was of a different color than the rest. He cautiously picked up the stone, and noticed crude engraving on it. On the flatter underside of the stone was an eye with a tear, and three triangles above; it was the very same symbol Saer had shown him.

Link pondered at what this might mean, as he returned the stone to its original position in case it was a signal to someone else. He continued his way westward, towards Arbiters Grounds, keeping his eye out for the bullbo he had "rescued" from the fire that King Bulblin had set around Link after being beaten.

It wasn't till about a hour after Link entered the desert that he saw the bullbo at a distance. He reached the animal, who snorted when Link patted its shoulders. Satisfied that the animal recognized him, Link mounted this slower—but more recklessly destructive—steed, and made his way across the desert, happily making up time lost during his long slumber.

Hours before sunrise, he came close to the base of the ancient prison; and at the moment, he had no intention of getting closer, for it seemed that after Ganondorf's defeat, the bulblins had regrouped and rebuilt their fort. Link dismounted and lay down to make himself harder to see as he spied on them, as he crawled closer. The three towers guarding the entrance to the canyon that lead to the fort were again manned, and there were also raiders around the fire between the three towers. Behind the hills, Link saw that the towers within the fort were as well manned.

"There are three towers and six raiders here," came a voice from behind Link after he had been watching for a few minutes, "and four towers and about thirty raiders at the fort."

Link turned suddenly, and rolled to put some distance between him and the voice. The man didn't seem immediately threatening, except for the sandy colored cloak that made him hard to see, so Link stayed low and drew no weapon, instead demanding, "Who are you, and why are you here?"

"I am called Ilon, a Sheikah. Word travels fast amongst us, and I was told that you had befriended Saer. If that is truely the case, you should know this symbol, as well as the one I left for you by the entrance to the desert," he said, withdrawing an arm from his cloak and exposing the same tattoo Saer had on his arm. "In addition to some graver news, I was told that you might come to the desert and that we no longer had to hide ourselves from you."

"I was wondering what that cairn was about," said Link. "So are you here to help? Two against, what, about forty-five seems slightly favourable to one against forty-five, I'll admit, but that's hardly comforting. Also, I didn't bring the gear I would have if I had known to expect such numbers."

"There are alternatives to directly assaulting a fortification like this," said Ilon. "With care, these front nine can be passed with stealth. I see you have one of our forest cloaks. What color is the inside?" Link reversed a section of his cloak and revealed a dark green inside, which in the dim light of the night looked like a dark grey. "That should work. Our cloaks are meant to be darker on the inside, so they can be reversed for night use."

Link reversed his cloak, as Ilon continued: "So here's what I was thinking. That bullbo you road, make it charge hear the southern edge of the towers, as it runs, it should distract them, maybe even draw some raiders away from the fire to capture it, taking long enough for us to skirt along the north wall unnoticed and slip into the canyon."

Link thought about this for a moment, and saw no fault with the surprisingly simple plan. He nodded in agreement, and Ilon headed to the north wall, but gave a wide berth to the bulblins. Link returned to the bullbo, which was already roaming slightly south of the towers, and smacked its hind quarters, sending it rampaging across where the towers could see.

He looked for Ilon, but couldn't see him anymore, so he went to the north wall too. He thought about trying to enter, when he noticed all but one of the raiders decided to try to chase the bullbo and ran after it. Seeing his opening, he skirted slowly against the north wall toward the entrance to the fort. About half way there, he disappointingly saw that the animal had changed course in response to the chase; its path was now curving towards Link.

Link needed to think of a new suitable distraction. First he thought of a shooting an archer, but the arrow would be a telltale sign that someone uninvited was around, and the alarm would go up. He then thought of shooting one of the raiders' steeds, giving them something else to chase, but there was still the problem of the obvious arrow which would be quickly discovered.

In desperation, Link withdrew his bow and nocked an arrow and readied to shoot the oncoming bulblins. As he cursed the fire in the distance for partially night-blinding him, he noticed how precariously it was built: many pieces of fuel were sticking too high up, leaning against each other. Link quickly turned and shot an arrow into the fire, knocking much of the fuel over and out of the fire-pit, and hopefully consuming his arrow in the flame.

One of the tower guards shrieked, which caused the raiders to look over, then run over to fix the fire. The bullbo stormed past Link, but he went undiscovered. The bulblins struggled to get the flames back into the fire-pit, giving Link the chance to slip into the canyon leading to the fort.

Link came upon Ilon waiting for him halfway to the fort, and said, "Great plan. Not only did it almost backfire, but I also almost got trampled."

Ilon only replied with a shrug and said, "Looks like you did alright."

They went up the canyon till they reached the fort. There was a sentry patrolling in front of the walls of the fort, which Ilon expressed annoyance at, saying, "He's going to make it harder to find a way in. As soon as we're spotted or try to fight him, he'll sound an alarm. Any ideas?"

"I've got one," Link said. He nocked another arrow, and before Ilon could object, he shot an arrow at the bulblin, and then turned to stare at the concerned Sheikah. Ilon watched the bulblin, the anxiety and annoyance obvious on his face, but quickly he realized that it dropped to the ground without a sound. He turned, rather bemused, to Link, to see Link already staring back. Link explained his idea: "I aimed for the throat. He couldn't make a sound."

Ilon stifled a laugh, and resumed observing the fort and defences. After a few minutes, he said, "I think I know a way in that will get us unnoticed by the bulblins on the ground, but we need to do something about the ones on the towers."

They both fell silent for some time, thinking about the towers. Link found himself wishing he had taken a few bombs with him to make bomb arrows, when inspiration hit. He pulled the square fire starter that Saer had given him from his cloak, and asked Ilon, "How many of these do you have?"

"A few," Ilon answered, pulling about half a dozen from his cloak. "Why?"

"Give me four, I have an idea," Link replied. Link drew another arrow, and stabbed his fire starter through the nock. He crept up behind a stone pillar so he'd be out of sight of the fort, and lit the square with his flint.

Ilon handed Link four starters, and Link skewered each with a different arrow. Two towers were visible from where he was. He nocked the first arrow, and set it ablaze. He shot into the bottom side of the platform at the top of one of the towers, right under the feet of the archer on top. He repeated this with the other tower he could see from where he was.

In a minute, the platforms at the top of the towers were on fire, and to avoid being roasted, the archers had to descend. The bulblins were confused, but it was not obvious exactly what had happened, so they didn't immediately expect it was part of an attack.

Ilon ran up to a section of left outer wall that had been patched by wood. He produced a rope and tied a loop at one end and, with a few twirls and a throw, secured the loop over a vertical beam. He quickly climbed up the rope. Link handed the arrow with the burning starter on it to Ilon, and with more difficulty, also made his way up the rope. From there, Link was able to take out another tower.

On top of the wall now, Link and Ilon slowly made their way over the fort. A cough, or bit of crumbling stone would be enough to cause a guard to look up, but because of skill, and probably a little luck, they were ready to take out the last tower right as the alarm went up.

Earlier, bulblins had gathered around the towers that mysteriously caught fire at the top. Eventually, the arrow that struck the first tower had gotten so burned away at the tip that the back section, with the nock and the fletching, broke off and fell to the ground where it was discovered. In a pinch, Link could use the bulblins arrows he collected, but he generally preferred a different make, and the bulblins recognized the discovered section of the arrow as not being of their own.

Meanwhile, Link had set the last tower ablaze as guards started to look for them on the ground. Most of the guards were behind them, but there were enough yet ahead of them that they decided to stick to sneaking along the top of the wall a while longer.

They came to a point where only two guards were ahead of them. Just then, a more clever bulblin who had climbed partway up a tower to look around shrieked and pointed at them. The two guards ahead ran where they were at, as well as many of the guards behind.

Ilon quickly said, "leave the front two up to me, shoot as many as you can get behind us," as he jumped from the wall. Link followed his instructions and shot the closest bulblins, as well as the ones that he could see were archers from where he was till he used up his arrows. He turned to check on Ilon and found the two guards dead and the Sheikah nowhere to be found.

Link jumped down and headed up the stone corridor that lead towards Arbiters Grounds. When he got close to the entrance to the massive stone building, he saw Ilon running out with two clay pots. Before Link could ask, Ilon shouted as he ran by, "Link! Light another arrow!"

Link saw that Ilon had another starter between two of his fingers that were also holding a pot, and he dropped it. Link grabbed it, skewered it, light it with his flint, and followed Ilon back towards the fort. The sheikah smashed the pots on the ground at the top of the corridor as Link began to hear the bulblins make their way up.

Ilon ran back Link, gesturing towards the pots. Link guessed what he meant, and shot the flaming arrow where Ilon smashed the pots. Instantly, flames shot up all around the top of the stairs, cutting the bulblins off from their pursuit.

Link asked with a smile, "The vat of oil right inside?"

Ilon answered, also smiling, "The vat of oil right inside." And they both entered Arbiters Grounds.

* * *

"What do you mean, you want me to pay for that? I guard this city. I keep you safe at night!"

The roadside meat vendor replied, "What guarding have you done? By what I hear, that nineteen year old kid who doesn't even live here does far more guarding than you. Why don't you go back to your post and sit on your ass drinking beer!"

Even though he was only being paid to start a yelling match with this vendor, the guard felt like that last comment went to far, so he backhanded the vendor across the face with his armoured hand. As the clang of metal could be heard in the nearby area, the man who was waiting this to happen reflected on what a good choice he had made in regards to choosing the most hotheaded guard to payoff to start a verbal fight; two lines in, and the conflict was physical.

The vendor fell, but on his way up, grabbed a thick cudgel that he kept to fight off any would-be burglars. The cudgel smacked across the helm of the Castle Town guard, causing him to to collapse, right as two guards on patrol walked by, and the man in the crowd smiled to himself.

The patrol saw the guard fall, and not knowing what lead up to the attack, went to subdue the vendor. The vendor resisted, but was losing, when the man in the crowd shouted, "Hey! He was only sticking up for his rights! You can't do that! We've got to stop them!"

Many of the bystanders agreed, and soon the patrol was overtaken by civilians. The commotion brought more guards to subdue the crowd, but with the loud encouragement of the same man who first shouted at the guards in defence of the vendor, more people joined the resisting mob.

The guards were quickly overtaken; they were disarmed, tied up, many were unconscious, and a few had been beaten to death, mostly by accident. The man who had been prompting the people to interfere with the guards from the start began addressing the mob, who, as they had all just rioted and beaten some men to submission, and some to death, were collectively on an adrenaline rush.

"Fellow victims: Today we have all witnessed the selfishness, the ruthlessness, of the very people meant to protect us!" The mob cheered. "But ask yourself this: Are the guards the ones who we should be mad at? Do they deserve to be bludgeoned? Strip of power? To be dealt with by us?" At each one of these questions, the crowd cheered "Yeah!" But the speaker contradicted them, with "No! They are victims, just as you all are!"

This was a risky move, for now the speaker was at the centre of attention of a murderous crowd, and telling the crowd that they are all wrong, no less. Only a skillful and manipulative speaker, could pull off such a tactic, and Varnum was such a speaker. He continued, "All of us are victims! Victims of fear, Victims of suffuring! Victims of..." he turned, pointing at the castle "Victims of her!

The crowd murmured amongst themselves uneasily. Varnum continued, "She raises taxes on us! And what for? So her guards can steal our food? So she can rebuild her castle? While we all sit out here in ruined buildings, starved and cold?" Varnum was successfully redirecting their hatred. Now he needed to instil a sense of urgency in them, to drive them all to rash action.

He continued, "We can not sit here a moment longer, growing sicker by the day! Hungrier by the hour! We must act! We must show those in high places that we are the backbone of their world! We must show them that the foundations of their kingdom aren't in legends, or in the cement beneath their castle! We are the foundation! Now is our hour! We have been freed from a great evil by a kid of immeasurable courage, and now is hour for us to learn by his example! Arise, countrymen! Arise, friends! Arise... HYRULE!"

The mob cheered wildly, and Varnum lead them north towards the castle. There were no guards at the gates just to the north of the fountain, as he had arranged, but the gate itself was shut and locked, which was a deviation from his plan.

While the crowd worked on breaking down the gate, Varnum thought to himself, 'The guards are gone, surely by Mikel's order, but the gate is locked as it usually is. What's his game? Mikel surely can't think I'd believe that he'd forgotten to leave the gate open... perhaps he was interfered with? Maybe someone else re-secured the gate? We'll find out soon enough...'

The mob had broken through the gate, and headed up the causeway toward the castle. The larger gate was also secured against them. Varnum knew nothing about fighting or seizing a castle, but luckily for him, someone got the idea of setting a massive fire in front of the gate.

The fire gradually burned through the wood, but it took so long that Varnum began to worry. Keep the mob active and engaged, and they won't think about what they're doing; let them stand around idle for half an hour, then they begin to think about their actions, and second guess the rhetoric that brought them this far.

As the fire did its thing, Varnum started improvising a speech. It wasn't rehearsed, so it was far less effective than the one he gave earlier, but it was just enough to keep the mob from thinking. Once the final gate was down, the mob swarmed the castle, searching for the Princess.

People began to come back to Varnum saying that Zelda was nowhere to be found. This infuriated him greatly; his spies in the city guards had personally informed him that she was in her chambers, right until they were dismissed by Mikel, also following Varnums orders. That had been less than an hour ago. Surely if she left the castle grounds, she would have been noticed.

Varnum cursed himself. He had noticed that a lot of the nobility were being sent home, but only now did he realize just how many people had been dismissed from the castle in the last few days: practically all of them. Even the servants were given the day off. He should have been suspicious; instead, he hurried blindly into his plan, not realizing that Zelda too was suspicious, and taking measures.

The castle was entirely devoid of inhabitants. Varnum reprimanded himself for his blindness. 'But still,' he said to himself, 'At least the princess should be here... but where?' So lost was he in thought that he hardly noticed what was going on in the mob around him, even as the people he planted for specific roles began to act their part.

"What now?" someone began. "We've done away with a tyrant. Now we need a ruler?"

"Someone we trust," said another.

By and by, someone paid to throw in Varnum's name played their part. Varnum feigned to decline, but some of his other actors insisted. Finally, as more and more of the mob agreed with the actors, Varnum pretended to be humble, and accepted the offer, saying that he would only do so temporarily, until someone better suited could be decided upon.

Someone, not even one of his actors, found a decorative, jewelled helm with a golden crown around it, and put it on Varnum's head, bellowing, "Long live the King." A few in the crowd replied the same phrase back, so he said again, and louder, "Long Live The King!" More in the crowd echoed, and once more, he chanted, "Long live the King!" and this time, the whole mob echoed.


	8. Sage Advice

**Chapter 7: Sage Advice **

Zelda tore another strip off the bottom of her dress and wrapped it around the torch. It was always dark down here, and she had quickly lost track of time. She recalled the paths she had already taken, trying to guess if she had been down here for even an hour, or more than a day. It was hopeless; time felt like it had no meaning there.

She trudged on through the water, trying to recall the detailed layout of the city's waterway she had glimpsed during the planning of the reconstruction of the castle. Clearly in her mind, she saw the parchment depicting the dozens of tunnels, inlets and outlets, and discontinued channels. The only problem was that she didn't really know how to use a map.

In the dark, still silence, she found herself talking to herself. "Goddesses, what is going on... I though things would get better after Ganondorf was killed. Link leaves, and suddenly, my castle is sacked by my very own people, and my guards desert me." As she wandered the dank tunnels, her musings consistently fell to her aggravation at being usurped.

In the dark underground, the former princess repeatedly lost her way, having no lasting marker like the moon or sun or stars with which she could keep track of her location. It also didn't help that the entire maze was built with the same ubiquitous grey stone, making everything, every path, every tunnel, look identical. She passed another dead rat lay on path. "Have I passed this one already?" she tried to remember.

"How did Link manage this so quickly? And when Midna was hurt, how could he even focus on the intricacies of this veritable maze?" she pondered.

Her torch began to burn low again, and she wondered how much oil was left in it. Not remembering how long it had been since she re-wicked it, she removed another strip from her gown, wondering if there would be anything left of it by the time she found her way out.

She came across another inlet duct that she thought she had seen already. Recalling the map to her mind, she guessed where she was at in the waterway and figured out where she needed to go, quickly setting off again.

Right... Left... Straight... Left... If she was true to her path, she should be at the main rain water intake. She wasn't. It took all her restraint to not throw the torch against the wall in frustration. Instead, she found herself needing to re-wick it again. She had already used the short sleeves of her dress, and the skirt section was already higher than she was comfortable with. She tore a strip from her midriff.

While doing this, she frustratedly mumbled to herself, "He leaves, and just a few days later, my entire Kingdom is conquered... by a single person! I don't even know who. Is he fit to rule? Does he just want to become King?"

Unconsciously, she scratched the back of her hand where the Triforce mark was, thinking her wisdom fragment was to credit for her remarkable memory. "Can't even tell me how to use a map..." she bitterly mumbled to herself.

She had the idea of backtracking to the duct she was at recently to see if her navigation skills were really that bad, of if she really just didn't know how to use a map at all.

"Maybe the people were right. I can't do a Goddess-damned thing without Link around, and not have it blowup in my face." At this thought, her frustration rapidly increased, and she found herself again battling with her self-restraint to not throw her torch against the wall.

Right... Straight... Right... Left... There was the duct again. In her mind, she turned the map over, thinking of what other ducts she could be at, and in the meantime more of her midriff became exposed in the suddenly reinvigorated torchlight.

"It's not that I think any of my decisions are wrong, the people just can't accept me as their ruler. To them, I'm either too young, or too female. I bet they'd follow Link unquestioningly, as though he actually knew anything about residing over a country."

In another moment of inspiration, she compared the location of the duct she was at now, and the last landmark she had come across: Further up the path from the duct she was at was an abandoned channel. She reviewed the map for passage that had both features. There were two, and based on the distance between the two features, she knew which which passage she was in.

The rain water intake was to her left, not right; she had been reading the map upside-down. Finally, she knew how to get out, and might possibly do so without stripping fabric from her dress that hid any private areas.

At the end of her path, at the intake, she began to see a faint light from above. After constantly berating herself the entire times she was down there, seeing this faint light again served as a small reassurance to her ego. With the dying torchlight, she found the narrow stairway that lead into the rafters above the waterway. "Now how did Link get here from the bar, exactly..." she thought.

* * *

As Link had hoped, Arbiters Ground itself was empty. With Stallord defeated, Zant killed, and Ganondorf on the lam, he had no reason to think that some great magic would be reanimating the dead that littered the prison. After the Bulblin fort, he began to doubt his assumptions, but a few rooms in, he knew he was right.

Regardless of the apparent lack of danger, the prison still held an undeniably eerie and unsettling quality that made Link and Ilon travel in near silence but for the scarce whisper about where to go. Some places were nigh impossible to pass without the spinner, but with a little creativity and rope, they managed.

At last, they breathed clean air againand ascended the final staircase to the Mirror chamber. The sight of the empty mirror stand gave Link a pang of hurt, and he slightly fell out of step with Ilon for a moment. The Sheikah noticed and turned to Link, but the look on the kid's face made him think better than to ask about it.

The chamber was empty. As always, wind could be heard swirling around, moving sand and mirror grains this way and that way. They split up and wandered through the desolate chamber in silence, waiting for any sign that there was a good reason they came here.

Link was about to give up when the sages finally appeared. Three appeared at their spires above the chamber, one by Link, and one by Ilon on the other side of the chamber.

The sage that appeared to Link began, "Hail, Link of Ordon, Hero of Light and Twilight. As always, it is under grave circumstances that we meet, but circumstances no more grave than our last confrontation."

Link looked over to see Ilon about to take a knee to his sage, when it gestured him to stop. Link smiled to himself; he didn't bow to the sages, they annoyed him too much.

"Concern yourself not with your companion," Link's sage resumed, "for he must bear a message back to his people, and your paths, at least for now, shall go separate ways."

Link stood there, waiting for the sage to continue. Eventually, it became clear that the sage had stopped talking for no reason apparent to Link, so he said, "Well, where does my path go then? Why was I brought here?"

"Soon, Hero," the sage replied. "We wait for another to arrive, then of your path we will discuss."

Link felt uncomfortable standing around the sage in silence, and began to walk around the chamber. Ilon finished talking with his sage, and Link met up with him on the way out, saying, "So any idea of what they want? What did they tell you?"

"I'm sorry," Ilon began, "but they forbade me from telling you what they told me. But if it's any assurance to you, you have nothing to worry about."

"Then why not tell me?" asked Link, already frustrated with the sages.

"They feel it will cloud your judgement. But Link, you have something more important ahead of you, and the Sheikah can handle what we've been instructed to do for now, but I cannot linger, I have to spread the message. Hopefully we shall meet again in a better time."

"Hopefully," answered Link. Ilon left, and Link resumed his wandering around the sand. The sages stared at him, now four on the spires, and one on the ground, till the sage talking to Link stated in a voice that filled the chamber without the harshness of yelling, "Come, Link. It is time to begin."

* * *

"Never in my life did I think I'd be so relieved to be entering a bar, and in such scant clothing too," thought Zelda with much relief, as she neared the entrance from the attic to the bar. She peaked in to see who was inside the bar; she didn't want people to find her because she knew she was probably being hunted for.

To her disappointment, there were three patrons she could see from where she was. As she thought about just waiting a few hours till the bar closed for the night, she began to realize how cold she was; dressed as she was, and thoroughly wet, she started shivering.

She tried to slide one of the storage pots on the ceiling over to get a better view, but the pot was full of barley, making it heavy. Zelda managed to budge it an inch, but the sound it made while dragging was awful and loud, so she stopped immediately.

Her heart beat faster in fear of being discovered, but soon noticed that no one heard her. Summoning her courage, she budged it over another inch. But then she heard a chair drag over the ground as someone stood up outside her field of view, and she stopped.

An older looking man approached the barkeep and told her something so softly, Zelda couldn't even hear words being spoken. The barkeep nodded and the old man returned to his seat, which was out of Zelda's line of sight. 'Great, even more people,' she thought.

Zelda slide the pot over another inch... then another. Then the barkeep called out, "Closing time! I have special business to attend to before lunch, and need this place empty. No complaints now, finish what you got in front of you, and be on your way. Not without of course paying your tab first!"

Slowly, and with many complaints about how early it still was, the bar patrons paid for their fare and left. When the last one was gone, the bar keep locked the door and said out loud, "Alright, they're all gone and the bar's locked up," and another voice said more quietly, "You're safe Princess, you can come out."

Zelda's heart jumped into her throat. She peaked her head over the pot that had been obstructing her view of the back section of the room, but saw a few familiar faces looking towards her hiding spot: Auru, Shad, Rusl, Ashei, and of course, Telma.

Zelda said, "I'd love too, but I had an incident back there with my clothes, and..." she looked at one of the people specifically, recalling her name from their brief introduction a while back, "Ashei, I'd hate to impose, but you wouldn't happen to have anything extra that I may wear, would you?"

Ashei bowed and said, "Nothing fit for a princess, Your Highness."

Zelda replied, "Neither is what I'm wearing. And besides, I have the feeling that I shouldn't be wearing anything that makes me look like a princess at the present time."

Ashei bowed again, and said, "Excuse me for a moment, Your Highness, and I'll retrieve something, though I imagine that you would be too small for anything of mine."

Ashei quickly returned and tossed some of her clothing to the Princess. Zelda changed into them from her concealed position and climbed down to the floor, where Ashei had also left her spare pair of boots.

The first thing that everyone noticed was that Ashei was right; Ashei was taller than most men in Hyrule, whereas Zelda was significantly shorter, and the clothes showed the difference. Nevertheless, Zelda warmly thanked Ashei.

"Let me just get this out of the way immediately," Zelda began, "People are going to be searching for me, so I can't have anyone calling me 'Your Highness,' nor bowing to me. I appreciate any assistance you offer me, but I do not require, nor expect anything from any of you, as what fate my usurpers have planned for me, they would likely give to you as well for helping me."

Everyone stood quiet for a a minute or two, the Auru said to Zelda with a wink, "Tell me, weary traveller from foreign lands, what are your plans?"

Zelda caught on to his game immediately, and responded, "I'm not entirely sure. I think I want to get out of the town for a while, head to the countryside where there are less people. Perhaps I'll leave late tonight, like midnight or later."

"That may not be such a great idea," replied Auru. "Anyone leaving the city at such a suspicious time is bound to get stopped and asked questions, even an innocent traveller like yourself."

Rusl chimed in, "I'm headed back to my village, Ordon, this afternoon. I took a trade cart up, but my business is done, so I can give you a ride there, and if you want, there's a spare house too you could stay at. The boy who lives there has been doing a lot of travelling recently, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind letting a traveller in need spend a night there."

Zelda smiled and accepted the offer. She was made to look like a normal commoner; her hair was fussed and dirtied (her clothes and boots were already sufficiently dirty thanks to Ashei), some soot was smeared then washed from her face, leaving behind a trace of dirtiness, and her hands were rubbed in mud and washed. And to eliminate the regal fragrance she had, which really was simply a lack of odor, the mat which people rub manure and mud-caked boots on by the entry door was rubbed over her clothes.

Zelda felt nauseated, but knew it was necessary. After all this was finished, Zelda and Rusl left the bar and left Castle Town. No one stopped them, as their business looked innocent enough, both of them sitting openly in the front of the cart being drawn by a stout looking workhorse.

"How long is the ride to Ordon?" Zelda asked.

"Well, if you push a good steed hard," said Rusl, "and leave at sunrise, you might be able make it from Ordon to Castle Town by the next morning, though you'd be best taking it over two days. As we are, you'll be looking at spending two nights in the field, one in Faron Woods, and getting into Ordon early on the fourth day."

Zelda did her best to keep a conversation going, asking how often these trips are made, what exactly Ordon trades, but ultimately their conversation ended up on Link, a far more interesting topic to both of them than the trade habits of Ordon.

* * *

The golden wolf had arrived at the mirror chamber. Apparently, this was the latecomer that Link had to wait for. The wolf walked over to where the sage was standing and Link was sitting (he had gotten tired of waiting).

"That was no mere dream you had," began the sage when the wolf reached them, "That was the Light Spirits reaching you across a great distance. The King of Evil is indeed alive. He has not yet fully healed from his last encounter with you, but everyday he grows stronger. Perhaps years may lapse, or a century, before he regains his former strength and feels confident to march against Hyrule again, but we have decided to make the first move this time."

"Why this time?" asked Link.

"Because now we know now how to kill him," the sage answered.

Link felt annoyed with the Sage already, saying, "_Now _you know how to kill him? Not before? In the name of Din! Why have I been carrying around this damned sword if this isn't what can kill him?"

"You're anger is not undeserved, Hero," said the sage. "but perhaps a little history will allow you to understand:

"After the War of Banishment, in which the dark interlopers were banished from this realm, the Hylian race prospered, but not without an evil of their own did they do so. For as wise as they were, the Hylians were still a vain people.

"Amongst the Hylians were a darker skinned tribe, though they were the same as the Hylians in all other regards. Sadly, they came to be the subject of unearned criticism and loathing from the rest of their race.

"Murder, rape, theft, all became part of the treatment that they had to endure on a daily basis. Until one day, a leader among them rose and led them to a rebellion against the ruling class. Naturally, as they were greatly outnumbered, their rebellion had accomplished nothing, except banishment from the lands of the Hylians. They found the desert to be one of the few remaining open spaces for them to live in, and there they survived for an age, and took the name of the desert for themselves: The Gerudo.

"Time dwindled on as it always does, till one day a Gerudo magician, whose powers were ill-gotten, returned from the desert with the intent to take the Triforce for himself, and conquer the world. This man you know as Ganondorf. He cunningly tricked the well-meaning princess of that time, as well as a young kid to open the door to the Sacred Realm.

"Unfortunately, he knew well the lore and legends, and that the triforce would split and hide from him as soon has he got it. But with what magic he had, he helded onto the whole of the Triforce just long enough to make one permanent spell, to grant him immortality. That's not to say he can't be killed, though.

"Long ago, foreseeing that a man of great evil would take a segment of the triforce for himself, the Ancient Sages, our predecessors, forged a great sword, the Master Sword. The sword that you now carry, Hero, is the very weapon designed to counter the power of a segment of the triforce. But the sword was designed to only match the power of a Triforce segment, not to over come it.

"When the Hero of Time first ran Ganondorf through with the Sword, we sealed him away into the Sacred Realm, where his fragment would return to its resting place upon his death, for if he died in the Light Realm, his fragment would be passed on to another mortal, then another, much like the Triforce segments of Courage and Wisdom. We had not anticipated that he would survive, though. We had not know of his immortality then"

"In time, he recovered, and took over the Sacred Realm, returning to Hyrule again, and a few times since. It took us too long to work out how he managed to survive, and all we could do in the mean time was to find a new hero, the new bearer of the Triforce of Courage, and send him to the Master Sword, and have him help us banish Ganondorf again, buying us more time.

"It was a race, between us finding the key to his death, and him overcoming a Hero and the Master Sword. It was only a century ago, nearly a millennium after his first rise to power, that we had found out how to overcome his power of immortality, and after the Hero before you had pierced Ganondorf's body with the Master sword, we chased him down as he tried to retreat again. At last, we overcame him and brought him to this very prison.

"We had realized that as the Master Sword can only match the power of his Triforce fragment. Whenever Ganondorf's flesh was pierced with the Triforce, the sword negated the spell of immortality. Over the centuries, he has built up a few other spells and magics of healing and protection, so we Sages forged another sword, the Sword of Execution, second in might only to the Master Sword, designed specifically ending Ganondorf's life. The two swords together can kill Ganondorf; One to negate the Triforce, the other to overcome what residual magic he has as a magician.

"We brought him back here and restrained him, quickly agreeing amongst ourselves that death was to be his fate at our hands. We brought the sword forth and pierced his body with it. For a moment, his body had died... but his spirit hung on. So much time had passed since he was pierced with the Master Sword that the Triforce of Power was able to revive him. If we had moved quicker and severed his connection to the Triforce, perhaps he would have stayed dead, but it was not to be, and one of our own kind had been destroyed by him." The sage pointed toward the Spire of the Sage of Water, and as Link followed, he saw the ethereal wolf drop his head to the ground.

Link asked in surprise, "How does one kill a sage?" At his question, the wolf turned away and left.

About the wolf, the sage said, "This was a matter of personal importance to him, he'll come back soon," and went on to answer Link's question. "To over simplify, being a Sage is more like holding a position, like mayor, or king, than it is about being a specific person. For instance, me. There is only one Sage of Forest, though I'm not the first; I am the third person to be this specific Sage. We were little more than ordinary people of our respective races before we took these positions."

As the Sage said this, the white body before Link had melted away, and in front of him now was but a girl, younger than even Colin, and oddly enough, dressed near identically to Link. He looked around the spires: The Sage of Fire was a mighty Goron; the Sage of Light was an old man dressed in priestly robes; the Sage of Spirit was a young woman with skin dark as Ganondorf's, and hair of a similar coulor to his; the Sage of Shadow was a middle aged woman, bearing the mark of the sheikah.

"Now you see us," the young girl began, but now in a sweet, soft voice, and a subtle bounce to her stance, even as she tried to remain still, "as we are in the flesh. These are the forms that can be killed, even by you, right now. We reside in the last bastion of purity in the Sacred Realm, called the Chamber of Sages. The white forms of us you see are are merely projections, limiting out exposure. It takes a great magic to harm our projections.

"Ganondorf, being the strong wizard that he was, attacked the Sage of Water, and traced her projection back to her mortal form in the Chamber, and thus was he able to kill her. And even more damaging, he broke the Seal of that Sage. In the Chamber of Sages are six large seals for each element, and from each of those seals comes each Sage's power and wisdom. In essence, the Seal is the actual position of Sage, and we are merely the inhabitants.

"Why don't you fix it?" asked Link.

"Each Sage has limited power. The Ancient Sages chosen after the Banishing War put their entire selves into the creation of the Master Sword, and passed on. The next set of Sages thrived for so long a time that their power naturally dwindled to naught. Us current Sages poured much of our power into the creation of the Sword of Execution. Though it is still in us to fix the Seal of Water, it would end us, and six new Sages would have to be awakened with the help of a Hero, much like the Hero of Time had to do. It comes to a choice between having five weak Sages, or no Sages for sometime. As our power is in our wisdom, five sages should suffice till Ganondorf is finally defeated."

Link realized how sidetracked he was getting, and asked, "More importantly, how do I kill Ganondorf?"

The young girl answered in her sweet voice, "Pierce him with the Master Sword, that will cancel out his triforce and his immortality spell. Then without removing the sword, stab him with the Sword of Execution."

"The Sword of Execution..." Link mumbled to himself, before exclaiming, "Wait! You don't mean that sword the he took from you Sages, that he wielded when I fought him?"

The girl replied, "Yes, the very same!"

Link, now suddenly quite annoyed, asked, "how the hell am I supposed to find that? He probably has it, and I don't know where he is! I'd practically have to kill him to get the sword needed to kill him! How am I supposed to do that?"

She pointed behind him, saying, "That's what he's for!"

Link turned sharply, just barely catching a glimpse of the ethereal wolf as it pounced on him, giving Link that familiar sensation of his vision going black, his gut retching, and waking up somewhere completely different seconds later.

* * *

If Varnum had wondered if Mikel was still loyal to him after the captain's absence from the riot, he was certain now that he was not, considering Mikel still hadn't been seen since. Varnum wasn't that concerned anyway; Mikel was only working for him under threat, he wasn't truly loyal in the first place.

"Countrymen, friends, listen to me!" Varnum began his first address to the whole of Castle Town since his coup had taken place. "I would first like to say how honored, and flattered I am that in the heat of the moment, you had decided that I should lead you all out of the crisis our former Princess has landed us in. However, I want to start my governance with a new policy: Honesty. So when I tell you that this Kingdom is facing an economic crisis, you know that I speak the honest truth.

"The previous rulers have recklessly spent this countries wealth; What we citizens worked hard to earn, to make for ourselves, the Ruling Class taxed and sat in luxury in their great castle! We work tirelessly, calloused hands, bruised muscles, aching bones, just to survive, while the elite sit on their chairs of padded silk, lay on beds of ever clean linens, sip wine from fine goblets of silver and gold... Today, I can declare that this will no longer be the way of things!

"Yet, my determination for honesty must force me to admit that you all must be burdened slightly longer still. This county has been driven to the brink of poverty, and we all must work together to rebuild a glorious country, a place that we can all be proud of. Our neighbours, the Zora and the Gorons, have their own problems, and we must maintain trade between them. They too are critical for us to rebuild, and they have a price for their services.

"For this reason, I am afraid I must do what I can to keep our trade relations open with them. Though I assure you all that you will be repaid twice-fold for your services, and believe me, I will record everything, I must collect from you all some of what is of value: any spare money, anything of precious metal of jewels...

"But I will not keep with this practice long! There are treasures about the castle, buried in the rubble and debris, and with these treasures, everything of yours used to pay the Gorons and Zora shall be replaced with something of greater value.

"Not only shall your donations turn a profit for yourselves, but with the turning-over of power, there are many positions open now for those of you seeking a job. Construction; tax-collectors; soldiers; and, for those of you particularly learned, I am looking for advisers, as unlike the previous ruler, I will not make the mistake of assuming that I know all there is to be known.

"It will take some time to organize a way to determine who is qualified for these positions, but I will let you know immediately when to start asking. However, there is one position available immediately: A new Captain. The previous bearer of this position, Captain Mikel, has recently vacated his post. And as you may know, the recent Princess Zelda has not been seen for some time. Anyone seeking the position of Captain must prove themselves with a simple task: Bring me Princess Zelda."

Varnum wiped his brow of beads of sweat as he stared into the crowd before him. The masses were silent for a short few seconds, and a few people began to clap, and a few more, which cascaded into the standard end-of-speech applause. He bowed before his assumed subjects, and returned to the castle.


	9. Hero's Shade

**Chapter 8: Hero's Shade**

Link stood up, shaking off the mild but familiar nausea that came from the experience being transported by magic. He turned to the Hero's Shade and asked, "So is there a plan? How are you supposed to help me?"

"You bear a fragment of the Triforce," began the Shade. "As far as I can tell, you don't know the first thing about how to use it. Am I wrong?"

"What do you mean 'how to use it'?" Link asked. "It's just a symbol, a sign the the Goddesses choose me to do something."

"It's far more than that," said the Shade, "and none of you ever figure that out in time to use it against Ganondorf."

"And what would a Sage know about being a bearer of the Triforce?" Link asked, with a obvious tone of annoyance in his voice.

"I'm am no Sage. I am the foolish child who first opened to doors to the Sacred Realm. I am the first to have defeated Ganondorf. I am the reason he was allowed to become so powerful. I am Link, the Hero of Time, the first Bearer of the Triforce of Courage."

Link, the Hero of Twilight, took a moment to absorb this new information. "But... that was hundreds of years ago... How is that possible?"

"As a consequence of permitting the King of Evil to obtain the Triforce, the Light Spirits decided to bind my life to his," said the Hero's Shade. " As long as he lives, I live, and I'll die when he dies. I have spent the last millennium guiding those who would follow in my footsteps to defeat Ganondorf."

Link muttered sarcastically, "Immortality hardly seems like a punishment for anything."

"True immortality, similar to what Ganondorf possesses, perhaps not. What I have is hardly a gift. I lived my life after defeating him, and, after some travelling and wandering, settled down and lived my life. Finally, in my waning years, curiosity overcame me and I found my way back to Hyrule. When the time came that I should have passed away, I was merely stripped of the Triforce, and my body continues to age, as you can see by by stalfos appearance.

Link thought about what was said, and questions began forming in his mind. The first one he voiced he chose because it seemed familiar to what he had in mind to do. "Where did you travel? Why did you leave Hyrule in the first place?"

"Same reason you want to, I imagine," began the Shade. "After everything that happened, the world seemed an entirely different place. Everything I saw reminded me of something horrible on my journey, and no one treated me the same; I just wanted to go back to my old life, but I couldn't."

"I know what you mean," said Link.

"Actually, it was probably worse for me," replied the Shade. "I grew up as a Kokiri. No responsibilities, no obligations... it was a life of perpetual, innocent childhood. Then suddenly I found the entire world depended on me. You, for better or worse, already had some experience with sorrow going into the twilight invasion. But truly, there is no preparing for the road any of us Bearers have had to walk.

"As to your question of where I went: I went to find my companion fairy that had accompanied me for my entire journey. She left me at the end and I never knew why. Eventually, I decided that the only person that understood me anymore was her, so I set out to find her."

"And did you?" asked Link.

"No. But after a while, I didn't need to. In my travels, I found myself in another land called Termina. Incidentally, a great evil had been stirred up right before my arrival there that threatened to destroy the world in three days, and it came down to me to destroy the threat.

"The Goddess of Time granted me the ability to travel back in time back to the moment of my arrival in the central town. I kept living the same few days over and over. It became rather frustrating getting to know someone only for them to keep forgetting you, but in the end, it was actually a good thing. On my final three days, I met only with the owners of the nearby ranch, and destroyed the evil without anyone else having known about me. Finally, I was just another person in a new land. It was a relief, and I chose to linger there after I was done for that reason. They threw a carnival, and ultimately, I found myself with a diminished will to wander in isolation, especially because my companion throughout Termina still hung around the country.

"During a few of the three day cycles, I got acquainted with the sisters who ran the ranch, and because I saved their cows from being stolen on my last cycle, I was able to find work there after that quest was completed. And, long story short, me and one of the owners, Romani, became lovers and ultimately married. Decades later, after she passed our kids had inherited the ranch, I felt a calling back to Hyrule, so I went."

"Wow. This isn't in any of the legends we have recorded nowadays... I've never even heard of Termina," said Link.

"That's not surprising," said the Shade. "It took me two years to travel there, though stopped at many other settlements and countries along the way, and changed direction whenever I heard about a location where fairies might inhabit. And I never told anyone in Hyrule about my business in Termina. Any other questions? I have to say that you're the most curious of all my descendants that I've actually met."

"Wait, what? You're my ancestor?" asked a very surprised Link.

"Yes. What do you think I meant when I said about the sword techniques that 'they do not leave our bloodline'? Everyone in Termina who knew me, including my children, knew that I was from a faraway land of Hyrule. I had eventually described to the cartographers everything I remembered about my journey to Termina. And one day, one of my grandchildren actually made the pilgrimage here with the heirloom sword I had left there: the sword given to me by the Kokiri.

"Here he learned of the tales of my deeds and took it upon himself to learn the ways of a knight, a a title I was posthumously given. Here he met a wife, and he taught his son, who also took a Hylian wife, and past the lessons on to his son. Then Ganondorf invaded Hyrule again.

"I'll spare your entire lineage and the deeds of all your forefathers, as it's a tale that spans more than a thousand years. Anything else you want to know?"

Link thought, his curiosity nearly satisfied, when one last thing entered his thoughts. "Yes, one more question. When the Sage of Forest mentioned the Sage of Water, you left. She said it was a matter that concerned you closely..."

"Yes. That was one of the more... awkward parts of my first journey across Hyrule. She was the princess of the Zora, and one of the Zora heirlooms was something critically important to my quest. To get it, I had to swear to marry her, and it became an engagement ring of sorts. As it turns out, she was to become the Sage of Water, and I was relieved of the obligation to marry her.

"Then, when my life was bound to Ganondorf's, I found myself working alongside the Sages, and she didn't forget my oath in the decades we had been apart. Well, after a few centuries, we actually grew quite fond of each other. Then the hero before you struck Ganondorf down, and the Sages and I pursued him.

"Even though my life is bound to his, he was still able to gravely wound me, but I managed to subdue him enough that the Sages were able to bring him to the Mirror Chamber. Out of a sense of vengeance for the injuries I had sustained, the Sage of Water insisted on being the one to impale Ganondorf with the Sword of Execution. And, well, I think you know the rest. He survived, and killed her.

"Now come, time for questions is over. You have plenty to learn about the Triforce and what power you can command with it."

Shade began: "I always suspected that that 'Courage,' as it applies to the Triforce segment, was actually a mistranslation of something else. Wisdom gives rise to confidence, power gives rise to arrogance. Both confidence and arrogance, in the end, are nigh indistinguishable from courage. So surely there must be some other innate strength to your fragment.

"Over the years, I've noticed a trend amongst the Bearers: They command the greatest loyalty of all the others. No doubt you've noticed that people who have hardly met you or are only vaguely aware of your deeds hold a great respect for you. Children idolize you. Strangers trust you. Girls go crazy for you.

Link thought through all these remarks. The people of Castle Town all showed him a certain degree of deference, he had in fact been looked up to not only by the children of his village, but even by Prince Ralis, he became 'Brother' to the Gorons, strangers had approached him to do favors, the girls who hung around the STAR game worshipped him

The Shade continued: "You notice it. It's almost as if the Triforce gives other people courage, which is indeed a powerful gift. Because of it, you are a natural leader, and ironically, all of us Bearers were of the type that absolutely did not want to be the leader of a great many people. And it is important that you remember this, as you'll need this trait soon. People instinctively trust you. They will follow you and let you guide them, possibly even into death. It's a powerful trait, but dangerous."

"So what of the other fragments?" asked Link.

"Well, they are a little more obvious in what they do. The Triforce of Wisdom grants the bearer with a keen insight into things, as well as an astounding memory and intelligence. The Triforce of Power grants its bearer with inhuman strength, stamina, agility, as well as a stronger command over the magics that come with being a bearer of any of the fragments."

Link's face took a look of surprise, and he said, "Wait, magic? What kind?"

The shade thought for a moment, "Well, Ganondorf is the real expert on that subject. It was really only into the last years of my life that I really started exploring the potential of the Triforce. But as early as my first quest, I was able to enchant arrows with fire, ice, and light, as well as summon a magic shield about me, teleport to the entrance of dungeons, and surround myself with a gigantic ball of fire. Later on I learned how to change shape, but only with the help of the souls of others who had entombed themselves in a mask so that I may help them fulfil their dying wishes. I was able to teleport to certain waypoints whose purpose was to serve as markers for teleportation."

Link asked, "So is that why you brought me here? To teach me those tricks to use against Ganondorf?"

The Shade replied, "Yes and no. Ganondorf has been practising these uses of his Triforce for a millennium. Not only is he far more versed in its uses than you will ever be, he also bears the Power segment, so in a magic against magic battle, he would win. You beat him with a sword last time, and that's undoubtedly how you'll beat him again. However, as he is a strong wizard, knowing how to counter his magic will certainly help."

"What's first?" asked Link, actually somewhat eager to learn.

"Well, even though it's one of the last things I learned to do, the easiest thing for me to pick up was to defy gravity. The pull of the world is, relatively speaking, a weak force which we all defy everyday, whether we just lift something off the ground, jump, or stand up. The biggest hurdle I found when learning magic the first time was to just actually focus it on one thing, to concentrate it to get it to do something. And as you've never used it before, you'll have very little stamina for magic and be unable to do anything challenging at the start anyway.'

"Makes sense. How do we begin?" Link asked.

"Like this." The Shade waved one of his hands across his chest and the ground disappeared from under Link. He never noticed how high the Shade's place was before, but now he did, and the ungodly height, as well ass the acceleration to terminal velocity, nauseated him as he plummeted to the ground below.

* * *

Rusl and Zelda, who was now travelling incognito and thus decided to go by the alias of Tetra while she was in hiding, made their way to Ordon over the next several days. It was an uneventful trip for the most part. Rusl had to chase a pack of coyotes away from the camp two nights, and they had to stop travelling early one afternoon due to an unexpected storm that flooded a segment of South Hyrule Field.

Unfortunately, their departure from Castle Town had not gone as unexpected as they had hoped it would. The mysterious female traveller caught the attention of a former soldier who wanted to collect on Varnum's application process for a new captain. And because Rusl and Zelda were travelling in a cart that left deep lingering trails, they were easy to track from a very far distance away, where even Rusl's eyes could not spot him.

However, simply due to Rusl's presence, the ex-soldier did not make a move, and instead decided to wait until the female was alone and he could get a better look at her to be sure of her identity. She was no farmer like Rusl was, that was obvious, so the tracker knew she would have to part way's with Rusl sooner or later.

Finally, they reached the Faron Woods, where the tracker had to move closer to the cart to keep track of it as the root and stone laden path made the trails of the cart less noticable, but even Rusl's vision, accustomed to looking for motion and hunting in the woods failed to find their stalker.

But as good as the soldier was at tracking them, he failed to notice that he too was being tracked, and that he was not the only one tracking the Princess.


	10. Wax On, Wax Off

**Chapter 9: Wax On, Wax Off**

The wind whipped through Link's hair as he plummeted to the ground. He was overwhelmed with panic, but he collected his wits and reviewed his situation. He though of what Hero's Shade had said: magic took concentration and focus.

The ground rushed ever closer, but he still didn't know how to avoid it. He thought of all the magic he had ever witnessed, especially those that would help him in this situation. He thought about Midna's ability to float, and Zelda's possessed body diving at him.

He closed his eyes and concentrated on those experiences, and without knowing how to actually use it, concentrated on the knowledge that he bore a segment of the Triforce. Still the ground rushed to meet him.

He doubted that his ancestor would intentionally send him to his death, but the rational side of him was gradually being overtaken by the fact that the features of the ground grew ever larger. The dots that were the trees grew into spots, the drop that was the lake became a puddle, the grey spot that was Castle Town and the remnants of Hyrule Castle became a smudge.

He knew that he had no clue how to use magic, and now realized that remembering other people using magic probably didn't help him. Deciding that he needed to know what magic felt like, he thought of the times that it had been used on him. He remembered what it felt like for Midna to fragment his body to push it through the twilight portals, and the sensation of being touched with the shadow crystal and transformed into a wolf.

Again, he closed his eyes and tried to ignore the wind in his ears as he focused on those sensations. Instinctively, he tensed his body and clenched all his muscles as he concentrated, but the ground still rushed towards him, now seeming seconds from impact.

Link desperately fought off the fear that was trying to consume him. He searched his memory for anything that was ever said about using magic, about every spell he had ever seen or heard of, any legend of the Triforce that seemed relevant.

Moments from impact, a memory flashed through his mind, one that just might help. Again, he tensed his body and closed his eyes, focusing on this one moment he pictured in his head.

* * *

Zelda was exhausted by the time they had finally reached Ordon. She had never been travelling before under such minimalistic conditions, and for so long. In addition, she also didn't know how long it would be until she could enjoy the comforts of her life that she was so accustomed to.

Rusl steered the cart into the main part of the village and stopped in front of the mayor's house. Zelda followed his lead as he left the cart and went to Bo's front door and knocked. Ilia answered the door, noticing Rusl and the stranger. "Hi Rusl, what's up?"

"Not much," said Rusl. "I just got back from the city and wondered if I might have a few words with your father. Is he around?"

"Yeah, he's upstairs, I'll go get him," Ilia said, starting to turn away. But she turned back to the visitors to ask, "Uh, Rusl... have you seen Link lately? He left about two weeks ago and no one has seen him since." Ilia noticed that the female stranger's eyes narrow in recognition at the mention of Link, but she didn't think much of it.

"Yeah, he stopped by in Castle Town for a few hours a week ago," said Rusl, "but we didn't have a chance to talk much. He was in a rush to go somewhere, but he didn't say where or when he'd be back."

Ilia turned and headed back inside to get her father. Moments later, Bo came down, and Rusl gestured him into the horse pulled cart. The three of them began driving up the long road that lead up to the ranch where no wandering ears would hear them.

Rusl began, "Bo, I'd like you to meet a very distinguished guest, Princess Zelda."

Bo looked to the woman with them in surprise. He never would have guessed by her appearance that she was the Princess of Hyrule. "It's an honour to meet you, Your Highness," he said as he bowed his head.

Zelda replied, "The pleasure's mine, Mayor Bo. But there's a reason I'm dressed like this. No one can know that I'm the Princess. I'm going by the name Tetra, and I'm to be regarded as a mere traveller."

Rusl saw the look of confusion on Bo's face and explained, "There was something of an uprising in the city to usurp the Princess. Until things settle down, we feared it would be a good idea to get her away from a populated area. I figured with Link being away from town, we would have a place for her to hold up."

"Yes, please," said Bo. "If there's anything at all you need, please let me know."

"Actually, I can't accept an offer like that," Zelda said. "I'm in hiding, so I need to look like it. In case anyone happens to visit this village, it should appear that I'm earning my own keep here. Perhaps there's some work I could learn around the village? Fill in for Link's absence, perhaps?"

Bo thought for a moment before answering. "Well, if you insist on looking like a part of the village... I don't think you could do the work Link did, no offence intended, but he wrangled the goats and that can be strenuous work for a grown man at times. However," Bo pause for a moment as he worked something out in his head, "With Link's absence, the Ranch could use the help. Perhaps you can do some of the work, like feeding the animals and cleaning the stalls and Fado can fill in for Link as the wrangler for now. It's dirty work, but it's the best I can thing of right now."

Zelda wasn't thrilled with the job, but she needed it to maintain her disguise, and she didn't want to be a burden to the town. "That will be fine, Bo. We're headed to the ranch to drop of the cart already, no? I suppose I start today."

Bo laughed. "I admire your eagerness, Prin—Tetra, but I'm sure your travels have been long. I insist that you at least take a day to settle in and familiarize yourself with the town. Since we are headed to the ranch after all, I suppose we could introduce you to Fado while we're there since you'll be working with him, then Rusl can show you Link's house where I guess you'll be staying."

Zelda agreed to that plan, and soon they were at the ranch. She met Fado, under her 'Tetra' alias, and he seemed excited about having help at the ranch. The cart was stowed and the carthorse stabled, and Bo, Rusl, and Zelda headed back to the village for the evening.

Upon arriving back at Bo's house, the mayor decided to alter his plans for the evening a little. "Tetra, I don't know what food you have arranged for yourself, but perhaps you'd be interested in joining my daughter and I for dinner?"

Zelda realized that she actually had given no thought to finding food, and was grateful for the meal invitation. "I would be pleased to join the two of you for dinner tonight."

"Very well," said Bo with a polite smile. "Dinner will be ready in perhaps an hour or so if I start now, unless you'd prefer to eat later?"

"An hour would be fine," Zelda said. "That should give Rusl time to show me where Link lives and for me to clean up."

Rusl escorted Zelda to the house on the edge of the village where Link lived. He showed her around the house, the basement storage, the rain catch, the oven. She thanked him when he was done and prepared herself for dinner. She had no spare clothes to change into, but she suspected that it wasn't typical etiquette to changed into formal evening wear in Ordon as it was at the Castle.

Zelda tried to respect Link's privacy, but found herself overcome by her curiosity. She studied everything he had laying about. It wasn't much, and the lack of distinct character about it disappointed her and gave her little insight into the man. There were the sorts of tools you'd expect a rancher to have, some horse tack, but she found a few things that interested her, like the few portraits of Link with other villagers and goats, and a few books.

She figured it was about time she returned to the village for dinner, and put her oversized borrowed boots back on her feet. She arrived back at Bo's house and promptly knocked. Bo opened the door with a proud smile on his face and gestured for Zelda to enter.

The Princess noticed that he had changed into what she assumed was formal wear in the village, and that his daughter, who was now at the stove, was wearing nicer garb too. She signed internally that against her request, Bo seemed to be making a show over having her as a guest.

Bo welcomed her, "Welcome, Tetra, welcome. It's always a pleasure to meat one of Link's new friends. I didn't have time to clean the place up like I would have preferred to, and I know it doesn't compare to Castle Town, but I hope it will do!"

Zelda fought the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "Well, I spend far more time travelling between the towns than in the city itself," she said, for the sake of his daughter anyone else of the village who might happen to be wandering near the house. And out of genuine interest, she asked, " Do many of Link's friends stop by through the town?"

"Actually, you're the first," remarked Bo. "Though Ilia here was really close to Link, so I'm sure she's excited to meet a friend of his."

_'What do you mean by "really close"? This could be a problem...' _thought Zelda. "Ilia, I don't think we've been formally introduced yet. I am Tetra, a recent acquaintance of Link's." Zelda stuck her hand out in the traditional gesture of a hand shake, something she has actually done very few time in her life on account of being royalty.

Ilia took Zelda's extended hand, saying, "It's a pleasure. Dinner's about ready, so feel free to take a seat."

Bo and Zelda sat at the table awaiting to be served by Ilia. Three places were set, and to each she brought a a small loaf of bread, pat of butter, and a bowl of chicken pieces in a white liquid. Ilia explained, "The soup is fresh cuckoo, corn, cheese, and pepper in cuckoo broth and cream."

Zelda tried it, and was amazed by the richness of the flavor. "Ilia, this is amazing! I've seldom had anything this rich before. I've never though about it before, but I guess I've been in Castle Town so long recently that I didn't notice how the taste of food diminishes after travelling for long distances."

"I'm happy you enjoy it Tetra," said Ilia. "Surely you must have had food this fresh before. Where did you say you from?"

"Arnok. It's a small farming town in the Lanayru Province." Zelda had spent much of the ride to Ordon thinking of a back story to tell the villages and traders that came through. She smiled in fake pride as she continued her story, "But I'll tell you, the soil there gives rise to some of the best grains. I've been all around the country, and there are few places whose beer or bread can even compare to ours."

"The name sound familiar, but I can't say I know the province all that well," replied Ilia. "So what's your business that leads you to travel about so much and so far?"

"Well, I'm not great with plants, and that became obvious to everyone at a young age. It's a poor quality for a farmer," Zelda said with a laugh. "But I make a good vendor, apparently. I go between the towns to keep track of how much of what grains everyone needs and when they need it, report back to Arnok, where prices are established, and back out. While I'm here, perhaps I can talk you into a business venture, Mayor Bo..."

Bo laughed, "Perhaps, perhaps. But not at dinner."

After a few moments silence where everyone ate, Ilia asked, "So how do you know Link?"

Zelda answered, "Well, when in town, there's a bar we both favor, and one night I over heard him talking to some other people about places he needed to go. There are part of this country that few people know better than me, so it was hard not to show this off when he was talking about which roads to take and when he expected to get to his destinations. After that, there were times that we'd be heading to the same place, and I'd show him short cuts, and tell him who was friendly to strangers, and who to avoid."

Ilia began to feel incredibly jealous of this Tetra woman for the time she spent with Link. She could tell this foreign woman wasn't saying everything, and then there's the fact that Tetra felt comfortable enough with Link to steal his house while he was away. And now she finds out that the two of them had been travelling around the country together.

Ilia remained quiet for the rest of the meal as Bo and Zelda talked. She just wanted her to leave, and finally, she did. Zelda thanked her hosts and left to go back to her place. It was fully dark by now, and the ex-soldier who had followed her and was hiding in the shadows in Bo's pumpkin patch was able to see her face clearly in the light of the fireplace as she left the Mayor's house. It was a good disguise, so good that had she not cleaned herself before dinner, he might not have thought it was her. But with the clean face and the neatened hair, it was obvious to him.

He followed her back to Link's house, and watched her enter the building. The dim light of the fire weakened, and he assumed the former princess had gone to bed. He waited outside till the moon was riding high in the sky. He climbed the main ladder, opened the door slowly, and drew his long knife.

* * *

His eyes clenched once more, he focused on the very first memory of the twilight he had. The Triforce had automatically activated in his panic and kept him from turning into a spirit by instead turning into a wolf. He remembered the strange sensation of the magic coursing through him, and the warming feeling of his left hand.

His fingernails were digging into his palms, probably drawing blood, but he didn't take the time to look, or to even notice the pain. He felt a branch graze his back, and at the speed he was going, easily tore his tunic and hurt like a whip.

His arm ran into a larger branch, and the pain of that was too much for him to bear. His eyes opened, and between the pain and the sight of how fast he was falling between the trees, he experienced one of the largest adrenaline rushes he had ever felt. Everything slowed down around him, except his heart rate and breathing. The branches seemed to take longer to pass on account of the rush of this hormone.

Hen he realized something: The branches _were_ actually moving slower, and were still decreasing in speed around him. He felt that indescribable sensation around his body and through it. He focused on it, this time keeping his eyes open, watching as the branches quickly slowed, until finally, they stopped.

Link hung there, wide-eyed, hardly believing what he had just done, and for the first time noticing the copious amount of wind-chilled sweat that soaked his body and clothes. He looked down, and saw the forest floor mere meters below him.

He laughed. The sudden release of tension and fright, coupled with the realization of what he had just done made him laugh uncontrollably. But he felt himself growing drowy, and quickly, and started to lose focus. Gravity started to pull again, so Link scrambled to get a hold of a nearby branch to cling to.

Even though this height wouldn't kill him to fall from, it would still hurt, and possibly break his leg depending on how he landed. But the more he tried to get a hold of something, the harder it became to stay afloat.

He concentrated on maintaining this sensation that kept him in the air, but the more he did, the harder it got, until he could keep it up no longer. He grew incredibly dizzy and the blood started rushing from his brain. Finally, he blacked out and was unconscious by the time he hit the ground.

He came to sometime later in that place in the sky that Hero's Shade favors. Link wanted to yell and curse, but his head forbid it; it throbbed and felt like too much blood was being pumped into it and that it would soon burst. He managed to groan out loud, "Why?"

Hero's Shade told him, "It's hard to learn how to use magic when you've never done it before. Much like teaching a young bird how to fly. Nevertheless, The mother birds manage, and they do so by pushing their offspring out of the nest and hoping that the instincts of their children will suffice. I liked that idea, so I pushed you out of my nest."

"That's the stupidest thing I ever heard," groaned Link.

* * *

Zelda awoke to a loud thump twenty feet below her. It was dark, and she was alone in a strange new place. She flicked the flint in the bedside lantern and it sprang to life. In the dim light, she looked around, but saw nothing.

She descended the stairs to get a better look, and when she got to the bottom level, let out a gasp of surprise and confusion. A man, dressed in old dirty soldier's garb and with a fierce looking knife in hand was laying down in front of her door, with two arrows through his chest. She looked outside, and seeing no one, quickly got fully dressed.

More for the security she felt holding it than the defence it offered her, she grabbed the axe from by Link's fireplace before looking around outside. Her plan was to go to Rusl as he was the town swordsman and fighter, and see what he thought.

She made it to the clearing in front of Link's house, when a hushed voice said, "Princess, you're not safe here."

Zelda tried to hold the axe in an intimidating manner, or at least in a way that gave the illusion that she knew how to swing it. "Who are you?" she demanded.

A man in a dark cloak stepped of the trees that hid him from the moonlight. "The name is Saer. I am a member of the Sheikah race. At the Sage's behest, we have been keeping our eyes on you for your protection."

Zelda knew the racial vow of the Sheikah to protect Hyrule, and by extension, the Royal Family. If he was truly a Sheikah, she knew him to be trusted, but she had to be sure first. "Though I suspected that your kind still lingered, I have never met a Sheikah in person. How do I know you are what you claim to be?"

"You don't, so let me explain something," said Saer. "The man who usurped you issued decree that whoever kills you will become the new captain of the military. That man there was looking to collect. The Sages foresaw this and informed us of this plot. I've been following him since he started following you, and another of my kind followed you, though he has been watching the road this way for other people who might come here looking to collect.

"At the very least, you should know that I could assassinate you right now and that no one would ever know. However, it is my sworn duty to keep that very thing from happening, and that dead soldier in that house should demonstrate that I take this vow seriously, as do all my kind."

Zelda already realized this, and new that at the very least, this man was not out to hurt her. "So when you said that I'm not safe here, what did you mean?"

"That man wasn't the only one who noticed your departure from Castle Town," the Sheikah told her. "And even more dangerous was that you left with a man that many people know of. It won't take much to guess that you came to Ordon."

She immediately knew he was right. She foolishly had let her feelings of security with Link guide her actions, as obvious as they were. She knew she had to leave, and the sooner the better. "Where would you suggest I go?"

"With us," he said. "We Sheikah are your sworn guardians, and quite easily vanish into the wild without a trace. Any town you visit you'd risk being caught. Your safest course is to go where there are no people. And the longer you linger here, the worse your situation will become."

"Of course. Suppose I shouldn't explain to the man the brought me here where I'm going? The fewer people to know, the better," Zelda said, and Saer nodded his head in agreement. "Alright then. Give me a few minutes, and I'll be ready to go."

She went back into the house, stepping over the dead man and the blood that was pooling around him, which made her stomach turn. She put her boots on and grabbed what little of the imperishable food Link had. By the time she made it back out, Saer was not alone.

"Your Highness, this is Haldric," said Saer.

Haldric bowed slightly to her, and informed her, "There are already people headed this way, they don't look like soldiers like that guy," he pointed his thumb at Link's house, "but they certainly don't look like ranchers. One carries a sword, the other a bow."

"How far out are they?" asked Saer.

"At the earliest, the might arrive tomorrow night," Haldric said. "But most likely the morning after."

"Well then," said Saer, "It's probably best we get going. We'll head north from here, but we'll only go two miles tonight. I'm sure all of us would like to get some sleep."

"Where are we going?" asked Zelda.

Haldric replied, "About twenty miles north we have a camp, a common meeting place for us Sheikah. It's secure and hidden well. You'll be safe there."

"I'm waiting for someone though," said Zelda. "I figured he'd be able to find me here."

"If it's Link you're waiting for, don't worry. We're waiting for him too," said Saer. When he saw her look of surprise, he explained, "I met him when he travelled south, intending to leave Hyrule. Another of our kind, Ilon, met him in the desert, where the sages let him know of the plot to usurp and assassinate you. After passing this information on to us, Ilon returned to the to wait for Link to be done."

"Done with what?" asked Zelda.

Saer said, "We don't know."

* * *

Link remained on his back for quite some time before feeling well again. The first thing he asked was, "How am I supposed to fight using the Triforce, when trying something that you described as being so easy makes me feel like I just got my ass kicked?"

"You'll get used to it," Shade replied. "Think of discovering your ability to use magic like discovering a new arm to use a sword with. It's going to be weak, hardly able to lift the sword, nonetheless wield the sword for an extended period of time. Magic is much the same. At first, you'll only be able to do a few weak enchantments, but with time, you'll be able to transport yourself great distances in seconds."

"So, I feel so bad because..." Link tried to figure it out himself, "because I overexerted myself by staying in the air for too long?"

"Exactly," said the Shade, a tone of excitement in his voice. "Now, the important question is, can you do it again? It's been a few hours since your fall, so you should be ready to try again. Remember the sensations. Anticipate the feeling of the Triforce working through your body. Feel yourself violate the pull of the world."

Link did just that. He remembered everything he had felt earlier. He clenched his fists and closed his eyes to try and duplicate the experience.

"Open your eyes!" Hero's Shade yelled. "Always be alert to your surroundings. Getting in the habit of shutting your eyes can only work against you in an actual battle. And much like how it is easier to balance with your eyes open, so is it easier to move in unfamiliar ways. Try again!"

So Link tried again, this time with his eyes open. He focused on an inconspicuous point far off, and remembered the the sensation of summoning the power of the Triforce earlier. He concentrated on it, and he felt that familiar sensation tingle his body slightly. He focused on it, and it grew, until he felt his feet leave the ground.

"Good!" cheered Hero's Shade. "Now come back down." As soon as Link's were firmly on the ground again, his ancestor commanded, "Again!"


	11. The Return

Yes, all that exposition is finally over! (I'm just as relieved as you) In this chapter, the plot moves forward again! Hurrah!

Also, I've started a new fic as well, _Archipelago._ It's is also LinkxMidna, but it's much much different, and going to be better than this fic. Don't worry, I don't think that either will contribute to the lack of timeliness in updating the other story.

**

* * *

**

**The Return**

The Hero's Shade was a hard instructor, and only got harder as Link gained proficiency. He started by having Link hold himself in the air as long as he could, as often as he could. By the end of the first week, the pupil had noticeable increase his magic stamina and greatly decreased his casting time as he gained an intimate familiarity with the feeling of using his Triforce.

"Excellent," Hero's Shade said, "Now we can finally start your training."

Link cocked an eye brow, "What have we been doing for the last week if not training?" He was tired; not physically, but mentally. Shade had been pushing him to master the ability to concentrate intensely on summoning his divine power, and it had been taking a toll on his overall alertness and responsiveness.

"I've just been getting to the point where you can actually learn anything, Link. I've showed you that you have a new muscle, now I'm about to show you how to use it."

Link groaned to himself, and asked, "Mind if I ask what you are going to teach me?"

"I'll teach you very little; I'll put you in situations where you have to learn for yourself, like the time I made you fall and you had to figure out how to stop from hitting the ground. I'll assault you with spells and curses Ganondorf assaulted you with, as well as what he tried against me in my time. I may even add a few of my own creations in the mix."

"But how?" Link asked dubiously. "How can you do any of that without the Triforce?"

"That's one of the virtues of this place. This isn't just some cloud you're on, Link. When I was charged with making sure the heroes between us wouldn't fail in their task, this sanctuary was created by the Sages. Here I can, at best, mimic the power you now wield. Everything you see me do here, you could do yourself with enough time and study.

"Now back to the task at hand. Let's start with..." Shade raised his sword and it began to shimmer white. "You've seen Ganondorf do this before, when he occupied the body of the Princess. What he's doing is focusing raw energy into his sword. An ordinary sword, like the one Zelda had, cannot retain much power. An enchanted sword, like the Master Sword of the Sword of Execution, can hold incredible amounts of power. Now, what do you do?" As Hero's Shade asked, he cast the ball of energy at Link.

Link jumped back to give himself more room, simultaneously drawing the Master Sword. He swung at the ball when it approached him, deflecting it back at the Shade. Hero's Shade batted it back at Link, who batted it back in turn. Its speed was increasing, but both kept deflecting it back at each other, and Link found himself surprised at how fast Hero's Shade was.

Doubting his ability to return yet another volley, Link deflected the attack off to the side, where it dissipated. "Disappointing," Hero's Shade said. Link eyed him in annoyance and was about to protest when he continued. "You're here, as I've said, to familiarize yourself with the power of your Triforce fragment. _None_ of these exercises should be treated as mere sword play. Everything I do, feel it; feel me forming the spell, feel the characteristics of the spell itself. Again."

Hero's Shade cast another orb of power at Link. This time, he tried to sense what Shade was doing. Then, right at the back of his mind was something familiar, but faint. It reminded him of how it feels to use the Triforce, so he assumed it was the spell Shade was forming.

As the spell increased in intensity, Link was able to feel it more clearly, and finally, when Hero's Shade hurled the orb at him, he felt its presence clearly in his mind. Not knowing what he was supposed to do about it, he swung the Master Sword at the ball of energy when it reached him regardless of the instructions not to focus on sword usage.

Only, he didn't deflect the ball. The enchanted sword made contact, but instead of the orb being reflected, it seemed to Link that it instead was simple absorbed by his sword. Link stared at the blade, baffled.

"Good work!" called Shade. "I honestly figured you'd get hit before you figured anything out. Again!" And again they did it.

That was the way things went for Link for the next four weeks. Whenever he had the energy to be trained – or tortured, as Link felt it – Shade trained him. He learned how to enchant his arrows with fire, ice, and light magic, and, with much more strain on his ability, how to use those same spells without the arrows.

Link learned to create protective barriers around himself that could reflect magic or physical attacks, but at a great cost of his own energy. And something he learned that effectively sapped all his magic was to heal his own physical wounds. Most importantly, he learned to be fluid with his skills, to feel the nature of the magic around him, the magic being cast at him, and learn to avoid it.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Saer had not lied when he told Zelda how hidden their secret camp was. To get to it, you had to follow one of the tributaries of the Hylian River until you came into a long narrow canyon. If you found your way through the thick foliage, you would find yourself at the bottom of a waterfall. However, hidden by the thickness of the forest, only a dozen yards to one side was another river valley, formed by this same tributary long ago, before the river altered its course.

It was in this secondary valley that the Sheikah had made a slightly less impermanent residence. Though, generally, they still seldom used it. It served more as a meeting place than a residence. This much was obvious to Zelda when she noticed that there were no man-made structures, but instead abodes carved into the very rock wall.

Saer showed her around. He lead her to the most comfortable of the cliff-dwellings. Then he took her to where food was stored. All the dried salted pork and hardtack Zelda could ever want, and more. Zelda almost found herself wishing for Zant to take over again; at least when she was his prisoner, she kept her own room in her own castle and had decent food and a soft bed.

Zelda spent the next few weeks here. Sometimes alone, sometimes a laconic sheikah would be somewhere, though, generally Saer tried to be around.

It was a tedious way for her to spend her time. However, two eeks after her arival, she was visited by a Sheikah , whose name she has already heard. Ilon himself had arrived to the camp at a time Saer was also there. At first, Zelda was excited because she remembered that he had been the one waiting for Link, but the news he had was not as good as she had hoped.

"I had returned to desert, as you know," began Ilon, "and looked for tracks of Link so I could find him. There were none, so I figured he was still inside. But even inside Arbiters grounds, the only tracks I could find were the ones we had made, and the ones I had made when I left him there. So I continued up to the mirror chamber, but it was empty. So there you have it; He is not in the Mirror Chamber, but there is no sign of him leaving. I can not guess where he might be."

"Are there any other way's out of the Chamber?" asked Saer.

"Sure, if you want to climb down the massive building, which would be pointless and unnecessarily dangerous," Ilon answered.

"You were the last to see him, correct?" asked Zelda, to which Ilon nodded. "Did he mention anything about where he might go or what he might do? Anything at all that would hint at where he might go next?"

"Nothing," said Ilon. The three of them sat in silence for some time, thinking to no avail.

Finally, Zelda spoke up again. "Knowing what he set out to learn, and the warning he gave me before he left, it is my opinion that the first place he'd go would be to the castle, seeking me. That is, unless dire need called him elsewhere, and if that was the case, I think I'd know about it."

The sheikah agreed with the Princess. "Ilon..." Saer began.

"On it," he replied. Zelda gave a quizzical look at this silent display of immediate understanding.

Saer saw this, and told her, "Ilon is going to Castle Town to look for Link. Though, given the size of the city I don't know how successful he will be."

Zelda looked concerned, and felt useless, and made up her mind. "It's been two weeks since Link left. I can't wait around for him to return. I've decided that if we hear nothing from him within the next two weeks, I shall return to Castle Town myself."

Saer did not think this to be a wise course of action. "Your Highness. Please realize that us sheikah can only protect you. We can't overthrow a government for you, not can we do our jobs well if you insist on putting yourself in harms way."

But despite his convictions, Zelda insisted that she would take matters into her own hands if she had to.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"One last thing for you to learn, Link," Hero's Shade said. Link perked up at this. He had been here for a month now, and was anxious to return to the world. Nevertheless, he knew he had to be here, to learn from the Hero of Time, so he didn't complain.

Shade continued, "Remember how the Twilight Princess was able to use those portals? How Ganondorf and Zant were able to make themselves teleport all around you? Or, how I'm able to drag you here, of my wolf apparition to appear anywhere?

"I can see how tired you are, Link. Never once did I stop you from leaving. You could have done so at anytime. All you have to do is think about where you want to go, and feel the magic of the Triforce take hold."

"Surely it's not that easy," replied Link.

"No it's not, but you'll figure out the details. Good luck." And the skeletal figure of Shade disappeared. Link however, was paying attention, and concentrated on the nature of the magic his teacher used to leave.

Link harnessed the power of the Triforce, a process which had now become second nature to him. What took more effort was to shape it into a usable form of magic; harder yet, to imitate a spell he had only felt once.

He felt the power of the Triforce manifest, and concentrated as hard as he could to shape it into what he just felt from the Hero's Shade. Quickly he noticed just how much power it took, and why it was the last thing for him to learn, and how hard it was to concentrate and shape it as he needed. Finally, as he felt himself tiring, he also felt something else.

It was as if he was vaguely aware of the entire world. He couldn't see it, but he could feel it, some places more than others. There was the mirror chamber, there were the howling stones, there, and very strongly, were the spirit springs; Link realized that these were all places of intense inherent magic.

With that knowledge, he tried to focus on the portals he and Midna had used, but when he found them, they felt different, almost unwelcoming. _Probably because they are twili magic,_ he thought.

He focused on the Mirror Chamber. Immediately, he felt the most disturbing sensation he had ever felt. His body felt as if it was rapidly being stretched in every conceivable direction, as well as some new ones; then there was that accompanying sensation of his stomach turning, like it does in free-fall, but much worse now.

Finally, though his eyes were closed he felt sand under his fingers and the warmth of the sun-baked ground beneath him. He wanted to kiss the ground, but first, his stomach heaved its contents from his body, and he felt more exhausted than he had ever felt.

"You'll get used to it," said a voice that he guessed belonged to Hero's Shade. But instead of looking to verify this guess, he just lay there, feeling physically and mentally miserable. The shade continued talking anyway, "The next thing to do is find Ganondorf and go after him, before he comes after Hyrule again. This is something me and the sages can do better than you, so we'll see to it. In the meantime, keep practising.

The sun was just setting as Link woke up. He stood around the Chamber for a few minutes, waiting for the Sages to tell him something, but they didn't, so he decided to leave.

The primitive rope bridges and suspension systems he and Ilon had set up on their previous expedition through Arbiter's Grounds were still set up, so it took no time to return to the Bulblin encampment which, to Link's relief (as well as the author's because he's feeling a bit lazy at the moment and doesn't want to write a redundant battle scene), had not been reoccupied since he set much of it ablaze.

From there, he was eventually able to get a ride on a bulbo back to the edge of the desert, where he made camp for the few hours remaining in the night. After that, he made his way back to Castle Town, to see Zelda.

Two days later, and both looking and smelling like he had gone without a shower for about a month, which, in fact, he had, he arrived at the gates that lead from the town square to the castle. The guards immediately halted him, and only then did Link realize his appearance.

"My apologies, good sirs, for my appearance. I am Link of Ordon, and I have been travelling far and wide for information which Princess Zelda will be wishing to know as soon as I can deliver it to her. If you do not believe me, send for Mikel. He can vouch for me," Link said.

The guards stared at Link for sometime, not sure if he was who he claimed to be. But the fact that this guest seemed to so far behind on the political events that took place a month ago, and the fact that no one has seen Link for at least that long, convinced them that this stranger was as he claimed to be.

Finally, the guards called for an escort for Link. The first thing the escort suggested was, "If I may be so bold as to suggest, sir Link, might you possibly be interested in freshening up before your meeting? We've been expecting you for some time, but an hour or two delay will be of no inconvenience should you decide to do so."

As soon as Link entered the courtyard, he noticed that absolutely no work had been done to the castle since he had left. He knew something foul was going on, but couldn't figure it out. He said, "You don't have to dodge around it; I'm filthy and probably don't smell to great. I think you're right, I'll 'freshen up, as you put it. What's going on with the castle? No work has been done on it recently I noticed."

"Well, sir," began the servant, "to be honest, I don't rightfully know. Such issues are beyond the scope of my job, and I try not to pry into business that is not my own." As he spoke, the escort brought Link to a bathing room, and soon enough hot water and soap were provided, and Link made himself presentable. Well, as presentable as he generally cared to look, which is still very casual. Finally, Link was taken to the Throne Room.

What he saw was not what he expected to see. A man and not a woman, and certainly not Zelda, sat on the throne. A middle aged man, too; somewhere between the age of Rusl and of Auru. If Link hadn't known that Zelda's parents were murdered in the twilight invasion, he might have expected this to be the King.

Atop his head sat a golden crown, studded with fancy jewels. In his hand, a silver goblet. Upon seeing Link enter, he stood up, which made the shimmer of his fine silk robes shimmer in the light. "Sir Link of Ordon!" he began, "it is an honour to meet you at last."

Link wouldn't be distracted. "Where is Princess Zelda?"

"Please, Sir Link, come sit with me. I'm afraid something terrible has happened in the last month." The man, ostensibly the King, who Link didn't even bother to ask his name, guided Link to the front of the room. He gestured for Link to sit at the table next to him as he sat back on the Throne. Link remained standing, impatiently.

"I am not noble or a knight, so you have no reason to call me sir. Now, about Zelda." Link was aware he was addressing what was, at the moment, practically the King in such a cold manner, but he doubted this regent's legitimacy, so he let his scorn show.

"I see you are a man of directness," stated the King, "So I'll spare you the details and be blunt. There was a riot. The people of Castle Town stormed the Castle and executed the Her Highness in this very chamber... It was right after you left, too. The people adore you, Link. Had you stayed and shown your support, none of this would have happened."

This reversal caught Link off guard. _Zelda had been... executed?_ And worse, he knew there was some truth to the effect he had on the people, and that everything really could have been avoided. This news hit him hard, and he practically fell into a nearby chair, devastated by the news. He didn't realize that he had fallen perfectly into King Varmun's lies exactly as he was supposed to.

Link managed to ask, "How did... How did you manage to take the throne after she..." he couldn't finish.

"Honestly, I didn't want the throne. Too much responsibility for me. And the late Princess was a wiser woman than myself, so what could I hope to accomplish? But when I saw the people that were fighting for the throne, I knew them all to be selfish, foolish people who would only manage to tear this country apart."

Link remained in silence, so Varnum continued, "I'm terribly sorry for you to have to come back to this tragic news. To be honest, I fear for myself too. Link, I need your help. You know this kingdom better than I do, and I know people better than anyone. With your help, possibly, we could do right by Zelda, and rebuild this Kingdom to the glory it help only a year ago."

Varnum's well-crafted lies had their intended effect on Link, and the King knew it. He stood up and walked over to Link, standing in front of him. He held out his hand, and said, "Link, together... together we can mold this country back to how it should be. To how Zelda would want it."

Link sat for a moment, something still at the back of his mind, a groundless suspicion, nay, instinct, before standing up. He took Varnum's hand to accept the offer of a partnership that Varnum already had a scheme to run him out of. In that moment, a glimmer of self-satisfaction flashed on his face. Most people would not have noticed it, but Link, who had become quite adept at noticing the subtle, saw this brief emotion.

Link, however, maintained his composure perfectly. With the secret intent to aggravate the King, he said, "for someone intending to rule a kingdom, you have an awfully weak handshake. It doesn't do well for the image of a strong ruler."

Varnum misunderstood the directness, and replied, with a smile, "Thanks for the tip. How hard should a handshake be?"

Link smiled back, and said, "Let me show you." He drew power from the Triforce into his arm and hand, and squeezed. Every bone in Varnum's hand broke, and even the ornate rings on his fingers bent out of shape. Varnum screamed in pain, and a few guards emerged. Upon seeing what was going on, the made to converge on Link.

Link let go, and Varnum fell to his knees, looking at Link in shock of not only his strength, but how unreadable he is, and how unexpected this action was. Varnum never had any trouble manipulating anyone, but Link seemed to see right through him.

Link told the moaning King, "You were the one behind the whole conspiracy to usurp the Princess, weren't you? There is an evil facing this country, the very same that brought on the Twilight Invasion. I was only successful because of the Zelda's wisdom. You are useless against it. By murdering the Princess, you have doomed this country, you pathetic, manipulative man."

Link noticed that the guards were about to reach him. "There is a power beyond your comprehension at work here. Let me show you." As the guards encircled Link with spears, Link again felt out his Triforce and drew a lot more magic than what it took to crush the King's hand. He gave it shape, found where he was looking for, and was gone, disappeared before their eyes.

The Shade was right. It was something you got used to in time. Link found himself at the Spirit Spring in Ordon and, instead of vomiting and passing out, he only passed out.

He woke up early the next morning in a familiar, comfortable setting, but it nevertheless was somewhere that he didn't want to be, regardless of how soft Ilia's bed was.

He picked up his head and waited for the room to stop spinning before he tried to figure anymore about where he was. As the world came into focus, he found that it was actually Rusl in the room with him. Link breathed a sigh of relief that he wouldn't have to face an awkward moment with Ilia. The sigh was loud enough to catch Rusl's attention.

"You have the strangest ways of showing up," Rusl said. "Ilia found you half dead in the spring yester evening when she went to wash your horse. I think everyone will be relieved to know that you're alright now. Hey Bo!"

Bo came in, followed by Ilia. Link was feeling well enough to stand up again as well. "Link!" the Mayor greeted him with an overzealous hug, and Ilia did likewise, but more gently.

Link, however, didn't share the same excitement they did, for even though he saw through the malicious nature of the usurper King, he didn't yet realize much of what he had been told was a lie. The others in the room noticed his somber attitude, and asked about it.

"The Princess is dead. I could have stopped it so easily. Executed... by a few normal citizens... and where was I? I could have stopped it so easily..."

Rusl and Bo remembered the dead soldier's corpse the found in Link's house a month ago, and how they were unable to find any hint of the Princess's whereabouts. Bo spoke, "I didn't know... We did everything we could, Link. We thought she'd be safe here."

Link looked up in confusion, and asked, "What?"

Rusl told him, "When she was here, we found a dead solider in your house, which is was where she was staying, but we didn't find her. He were hoping she somehow got out of it, but I guess we were wrong."

Link was only more confused now. "So, she came here to Ordon? And stayed in my house? Why? And what's this about a dead guy?'

Rusl told him the story, from her surprise appearance in Telma's bar to the dead guard with an arrow through his heart. By the end, Link was smiling. "Rusl, this is the best news I've heard in a month. Well, the last month had been pretty miserable, so perhaps that's not the best comparison."

Link noticed the sheer confusion on their faces and before they had a chance to ask, explained, "The man who is now on the throne is the very same person I now suspect was behind the entire conspiracy from the start. He told me a different story about how the Princess died, so I think she might still be alive somewhere."

Just then, Link remembered his parting with Ilon in the Mirror chamber: "_Link, you have something more important ahead of you, and the Sheikah can handle what we've been instructed to do for now"_

Link now suspected that he knew what Ilon was talking about, and wanted to laugh when he finally put it together. He felt rude for doing so, but he gave a rushed thanks to the Ordonians, and ran for his house. They followed, but Link was the faster sprinter, and the more enduring.

When he got there, he began looking for a certain subtle man-made landmark, and there is was. On the side of his house opposite where Epona gets tied up was a small pile of stones, the top one different than the others, and a rough sheikah symbol drawn onto the top. Link then knew that Zelda was in good hands.

Link heard Rusl and Bo clamouring up the path behind him, no doubt curious about what had made Link take off so suddenly. But the, to his great surprise, he heard his name behind him. "Link," a vaguely familiar voice said.

Link whipped around, and found Saer and another Sheikah he hadn't met. "You have the Princess?" he asked.

Saer nodded. "She's been waiting for you. Come quickly, we've about twenty mile before us, and the sun is still early in the sky. A young fellow like you should be able to make it by the evening." Saer gave Link an odd smile, and took off in a jog. Link moaned something about how he hadn't had a decent sleep or a satisfactory meal for over a month.

He picked a pine cone of the ground and through it at the Sheikah, but it missed. As Saer began fo fade into the trees, Link took off after him, and the the other Sheikah followed Link.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ilon wasted no time. As soon as he had heard the news news and rumours of what had happened at the castle, he made straight for the secret valley, not even stopping to sleep, for this was urgent news. Link had gotten in and out of Castle Town without even being noticed by Ilon. Granted, it was a large, crowded place with three main entrances, but it still hurt the Sheikah's ego slightly.

Ilon got back to the valley and heard more voices than he expected. He heard two men and two women. He recognized the male voices of Saer and Haldric immediately. Of the female voices, even though he had only heard Zelda speak once, he could guess that one of the voices was hers, and he thought he heard Astry there as well.

He was very curious about why there were so many sheikah around now, and about who was watching Ordon. As soon as he entered the shallow cave, his questions were answered, but he was only more bewildered.

Against the wall sat Link, listening to the four other people recall the events of the last month. No one noticed Ilon when he entered.

"There were nearly a dozen parties to visit Ordon," said Astry, "after you left. Some went there based off rumours, some times they went there based of off guesses. But the Ordonians did well, they didn't even mention that Zelda had been there at all, even though I doubt the truth would help those bounty hunters anyway."

Ilon broke in, surprising the five of them noticably, and with a slight edge of frustration to his voice, "And then, only two days ago, I hear that none other than Link himself was inside the Castle, and what's more had assaulted the bastard King. I left immediately and made my way back here as fast as I could, but some how, must have been passed by Link! On top of that, Astry and Saer are both here, so Link's been here at least long enough for a messenger to go to Ordon and back!"

There was a brief silence, which Saer interrupted, "Two days ago? That can't be right... you sure?" Ilon nodded. Saer looked at Link, "Link? Anything you'd like to say?"

"Oh, not really. I lost track of time myself. I'll have to take Ilon's word that it happened two days ago," Link said. "Besides, now that I know what's been going on since I left, I think it's time to discuss how to fix things. Zelda, I'm a little out of my element here. If I though I could fix things by just killing the King, I'd be comfortable, but I don't think that's the case. But this is your area."

Zelda noted to herself how Link changed the subject as soon as questions were asked of him, and decided to ask him about it later in private. But for now, she addressed his question. "I'm beginning to understand everything that happened. This King Varnum is a clever man. He spent two months manipulating the population's fear and grief against me, all the while building himself up. After a certain point, it was just an issue of inciting the people to action.

"You, Link, were the weakness in his plan. The people's love and gratefulness for you are stronger than any fear that could be forced upon me, and he knew that. So he waited till you'd be gone for a while. By now I'm sure rumours of how you opposed the King are going to be circulating, and the population will be confused about who's side they should be on.

"If the King finds a way to attack your credibility, that will secure his position of power. But if we can beat him at his own game, and you denounce him, the people themselves will remove him from power."

"Wow," Link said, then was quite for a while as he reflected on the intricacies of governing a large body of people. "And I can't just stab the bastard?"


	12. Take the Power Back

A/N:

Well, I've had this chapter done for about a week now... The servers (or something) at FFn have just been entirely uncooperative and wouldn't let me add another chapter.

So, this chapter/part of the story ended up being longer than I expected (in a good way), so I was left to debate whether or not to break it up into two parts. As this chapter alone came to 5000+ words (10 pages in Word), I decided to write it as two separate chapters.

Also, the next chapter of Archipelago is nearly done, and just has to be proofed (should be up by tomorrow night). Check it out if you like AU stuff!

* * *

**Chapter 11: Take the Power Back**

Mikel watched from the outside in the rain through the window as a middle aged woman cried. Her husband, an sergeant of his until he went into hiding, held her in his arms, telling her that everything will be alright. Like Mikel, his child had been taken; unlike Mikel, he still had his wife.

The former Captain pulled his heavy cloak tighter around him as he leaned against the building across the street, trying to keep out the rain. Since the uprising, he had been living on the streets in secret, watching, spying, looking for his family, but always avoiding discovery and the people he once knew. He even watched as his house was broken into and everything stolen from it, unable to stop it for fear of being recognized.

The husband stepped out of his house and approached Mikel. "Baruk," the ex-captain greeted, "thanks for meeting with me."

"I could be arrested if anyone found out," he said, "but it's a small price to pay to try to find my son."

"Just tell me what you know."

Baruk had taken Mikel's place temporarily as the Captain after he disappeared. Varnum, however, did not have an abundance of trust in Baruk, and had been seeking to replace him with whoever was willing to, and did, bring him the head Zelda.

"The King is careful. He has a dozen messengers through which he conducts a whole manner of secret deeds, and no one can get near him during these visits. It is hard to say anything for certain, but I think the squire of Duke Harled is involved somehow."

Mikel pondered on that for a minute, the rain running down his gaunt face. "I suppose that shouldn't be too surprising. After all, the Zoras, Gorons, and Provincial Counts weren't very receptive to the change in power, it's only natural the the Governor of Castle Town should be the same. His squire would have a lot to gain from betraying Harled. Thank you, Baruk. This is an invaluable lead. I will not rest till our families are safe again."

"I know, Mikel. One more thing to help you..." Baruk handed Mikel a small rupee-sack. Mikel tried to refuse, but Baruk insisted.

* * *

Link felt strange. He had never travelled with so many people before. With him were Zelda and the four Sheikah: Saer, Ilon, Astry, and Haldric. He felt stifled and tempted to tell them that he decided to do this alone.

Two days after they left the hidden valley, though, they found themselves closing in on Kakariko. The Sheikah dispersed without an explanation. Link guessed they decided to scout the town for anything unusual. The first place Link went to was Renado's. Link trusted him, and knew that if anything was amiss, Renado would let him know.

"Link," the shaman greeted him, "It's been too long."

"So I keep hearing," replied Link. "I've been travelling, and by what I hear, a lot has been going on in my absence. How has Kakariko been holding up?"

"No worse than we did during the Twilight Invasion," Renado answered. "For the most part, we have been left alone. Generally, the only time the King's officials pass this way is on their way to see the Gorons, and even those visits have come to a halt recently."

"I wonder if I should go see them first," Link thought to himself, then realized, "My apologies, Renado, I did not introduce you to my companion."

"The name's Tetra," Zelda introduced herself.

"A beautiful name, Your Highness," responded Renado. Zelda gasped, and Link chuckled at her reaction.

"How did you know?" Zelda asked.

"He can figure out who you are even if you forgot," laughed Link

"Well it takes more than dirt on cloths and tangles in hair to make a noble face go unnoticed," Renado said. "If it all it took was some mud to hide yourself, I'd never recognize Link." The shaman smiled, and Zelda gave a quite laugh at Link's expense, at which the Hero was silenced. "Now, I suppose the more important question is what brings you here, and what I can do to help."

"Actually, Renado, we are just passing through on our way to Castle Town," Link said. "We are going to take care of some business."

Renado sold him, "I'm one of the last people who would doubt you, Link, but it's a dangerous place for a Princess. I hope you know what you are doing. You should have a plan."

"Still working on it," Link said. "We have to make Zelda, who isn't popular with the people at the moment, look much better than the the current King who is popular, and has a way with words, even though he has kidnapped families to make sure certain people don't betray him. All we have to do it with is me, and the fact that I'm still well liked for what I've done."

Zelda said, "Varnum did some foul things to get where he is, there's no doubt about that. We have to figure out what he did and expose it to the people. If we can get them to feel betrayed, then ousting him shouldn't be too hard. After that, they'll look for a new leader, and naturally come to Link, who will vouch for me."

"Perhaps, by what Link has said, you should find the hostages," said Renado, speaking directly to Zelda. "I would fear that if you stayed by Link as he overthrew this Varnum, people may place their faith in him, rather than you. I think that him supporting you might destabilize Link's position with the population more than it would give you a boost."

"But I don't know where the hostages are," commented Zelda. "I've been out of the city for a month now. I don't even know if they are being held in the city. "

"Ahh, Princess, you are young. Remember, these are people's sons, daughters, and wives we are talking about. As a father, take my word for it that, is something were to happen to my Luda, it would be my lone thought to find her. There are bound to be people looking for their family, and they will know something. Find them. And as to where they might be, there's no greater motive than what's right in front of you. If this Usurper is clever, he'd have the hostages right there in the city as a reminder the people whose loyalty he is forcing."

Renado left Zelda and Link with more to think about in concern to how they were actually going to accomplish what they set out to do. They stayed in Renado's sanctuary thinking all night, but neither came up with much in the way of a structured plan. They set off again at first light from Kakariko, and no sooner than they had left the western gates of the town when a familiar face caught up with them.

"Brother!" Link heard shouted from behind him. Link turned around to see Darbus hurrying to catch up to Link.

"Brother, we have been looking for you for sometime. A great evil has befallen the Kingdom. Princess Zelda has been-"

The female accompanying Brother Link held her hand up in a polite gesture to get the Goron's attention. "Patriarch Darbus, Link is fully aware of the situation. I am Princess Zelda, and we are headed to Hyrule to retake the throne."

"Your Highness!" Darbus said, bowing his head to show her the due respect. "Please forgive me, but I must protest to your intention to visit the Castle. There are orders and rewards for your execution and, as high in esteem as all of us hold Link, I do not think he can defend you from an entire city."

"Fear not, Darbus," Zelda said, "I do not think I should be so readily discovered while I travel in disguise, as you have already noticed. And though you cannot see them, there are others besides Link protecting me."

"That may be the case, Princess Zelda," responded Darbus, "but if there is going to be a challenge to the Usurper's authority, I would very much like to take part in that. His reign offends us, and it would be our honour to help restore the rightful ruler to the throne."

"I am flattered by your insistence to help, Patriarch, but I-"

"Zelda," Link interrupted, which surprised Darbus, not only because he was being rude directly to the Princess, but also because he addressed her by name, "Zelda, you want to make an impact on the people, to legitimize your right to the throne, don't you? What better impact could you make than having the Regent of the Gorons standing behind you as you challenge Varnum?"

Zelda considered this for a moment, then answered, "It would draw too much attention to me. People would see me with you and Darbus and it wouldn't take much to guess who I was. It would expose us before we were ready."

It was Link's turn to be contemplative, but he said, "Not necessarily, there may be another way... Darbus, are the Gorons still communicating with the Zora?"

"Yes, of course A Zora messenger visits by the waterway behind the graveyard every night. Ralis and I actually briefly discussed assassinating the usurper ourselves after he cancelled our trade negotiations. If we had a suitable replacement regent-"

"He what?" Zelda fumed. "Why? Those negotiations took ages! How can he..." Zelda trailed off, before she could finish her question.

"That was our reaction as well, your Highness. Now you see why I wish to accompany you, so I can tear the limbs from his body." Link was slightly unsettled at that thought, as well as how calmly and resolutely the giant Goron stated it.

"Darbus, can you get a message to Prince Ralis?" asked Link.

* * *

At sun rise three days later, there was a small collection of great people on the eastern Hyrule field. Darbus, Ralis and a personal guard, Link, and Zelda, and Saer were assembled. The Zora and Goron were curious about who Saer was, but they asked no questions at the time.

Link, followed by the Saer, Ralis, and Darbus, entered the city. A few minutes later, Zelda followed, as did three discrete Sheikah.

They made their way to the City Square near the base of the Castle. Link made no effort of hiding who he was, and accompanied by the regents of the Zora and Gorons, he drew plenty of attention, and a crowd began to gather.

Zelda herself made a detour to Telma's bar to inform whoever was available of what was going on so that they could spread the word to get people to the square. Shad and Telma were the only ones in at the time, but they said that Auru and Ashei were also in town somewhere and went to find them. Zelda and her hidden guard made their way to the town square, where things were just about to start.

Link stood upon the edge of the fountain, preparing to speak. "You have all been lied to! Betrayed! Deceived! A vile man manipulated your fear and grief over what had happened over the last year. He used you to secure for himself power and wealth. You know this man as King Varnum. But he is not my King, and I will deny his power till he has it no more. He is a usurper, and a nothing else!"

There were whispers through the crowd, wondering what was going on. Slowly, everyone began to realize that their Hero was denying the authority of their King.

"Hero Link is right," yelled Prince Ralis, standing with Link to be seen by the crowd. "Before Princess Zelda was removed from power, our races were helping each other recover from the leftover chaos. It was through this mutual peace and friendship that we began to rebuild this country. But your King saw to it that this peace did not last, and broke off our old trade agreements!"

"And look where that has gotten you all," boomed Darbus, not needing to stand on anything to be seen by the crowd. "Who now quarries the rock that you use to build your cities and your castle? Who now mines for iron and copper in the mountains for your tool and weapons? And how do your relationships with even your own outlining towns fare? Judging by the lack of vendors in your market, I'd say not well."

Zelda watched for quite some time as Link, Ralis, and Darbus did their best to make the citizens of Hyrule fear the direction the new King was leading the country. As she did so, she also watched the entrances to the square from the edge of the crowd. Finally, the person she was looking for entered. She rushed over to Mikel and nodded to Ilon. Ilon stepped behind Mikel and placed a small blade against his spine, asking "where do your loyalties lie?"

"To my wife and daughter," answered Mikel coolly.

"Good answer," said Zelda, and as soon as Ilon lowered the blade, Mikel turned to her, seeing her disguised, and knew not to address her formally in this public place.

"I am truly sorry for everything, but I did it for my kidnapped family, so I do not ask for your forgiveness, nor do I deserve it."

"You may deserve it yet," Zelda said. I am looking for the imprisoned families to free them as well. What do you know?"

"Not much. Duke Harled's squire is involved somehow and getting paid well for it, but I can't get close enough to learn anything of real significance."

Zelda gave this a moment of thought while Link, some few dozen yards away speaking from the fountain, felt in his mind what he assumed to be the Triforce of Wisdom weakly doing something. With a sudden urgency to her voice, Zelda asked, "Do you know for sure that Harled himself isn't somehow involved?"

"It is possible, yes, but I've seen nothing that would implicate him. Perhaps he is just being clever and disguising everything he does through his squire, but I've seen nothing that would indicate he is involved. Why do you ask?"

"It's hard to explain. Just a suspicion, really. But I think we should investigate his mansion." Zelda, Mikel and the three Sheikah left the ruckus in the square leaving Zelda greatly anxious about whether or not Link would be able to hold his ground against Varnum long enough.

* * *

"Well, well," said a surprisingly cheerful voice from the gateway between the castle courtyard and the city square, "Sir Link, you do us much honour to visit the Castle Town again, even though you apparently find it so distasteful, and especially after you tried to assassinate me while I extended my hand to you, quite literally, in friendship. I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised to find you here yourself, trying to turn the citizens of this country against the very King they chose for themselves."

"Varnum, I have faced creatures you can't even imagine and survived. If I wanted you dead, have no doubt that it would take exceptionally little effort on my part."

"So then, Link, what is it you want?"

"I want you off the throne."

"Well, killing me would do that, now wouldn't it? But no, there's something else. You want me off the throne in a way that doesn't sully your name of get blood on your hands. Why Link, you stand there and call me deceitful, yet you won't give an honest answer to what you want. Either you want the throne for yourself, or you want to use your reputation to support someone else's claim to the throne. Which is it?"

The way Varnum jumped right to the point and guessed through Link's strategy made him nervous. "I am here to support the rightful Regent, Princess Zelda."

"Ahh, you want the person who surrendered to the Twilight Invasion to be in power again as if nothing ever happened."

"Don't speak to me about the Twilight Invasion. You don't know what happened, whereas I was on the front line. And let it be known," added Link, much louder to make sure everyone heard, "that without Zelda's guidance, I would not have been able to do what I have done. Had it not been for Princess Zelda, this land would still be covered in twilight. And had Her Highness not surrendered, we all would have been killed by foul beasts that cannot be slain by conventional weapons."

"Well, for some one who has accomplished so much in her reign, she sure does seem a little shy. Princess, where are you?" Varnum called. "That's strange, for someone who put up such a fight against those terrible beasts, she sure does seem to trust someone else to do her fighting for her."

Link scowled, at a loss for words. Darbus sensed this and stepped in, "It's no great secret that you have a significant reward to whomever executes her. Her absence today is not a sign of cowardice or shyness, but if wisdom and intelligence. If anything, your execution orders are only a symbol of your own cowardice, as they show that you fear the legitimate challenge to your title."

The tensions in the air were mounting, and everybody in the growing crowd was absolutely silent, anxious about what was going on. The strong voices that dissented from the King were beginning to cast a shadow of doubt on Varnum's rule.

"I was just responding to the will of the people," Varnum retorted. "They were greatly distressed over Zelda, and perhaps I was over zealous to bring them the comfort they sought. Very well then; I hereby rescind the execution order on the Princess. Now she can show herself without fear, though, I daresay having such travel companions as you three," - Saer was no longer with Link, Darbus, and Ralis, but had behind Varnum just in case - "she had nothing to fear anyway."

Silence filled the air, and it took a little while for Link to realize that it was his turn to speak again. He still had nothing to say, so Ralis joined in with, "You rescind the execution order today, then expect the Princess immediately show up, as if after the attempts on her life that had already transpired this month, she'd walk right back into the lion's den."

"Ahh, but she did, didn't she? Am I to believe that she asked for you three to attempt to restore her to the throne as she sits idly by sipping tea on Death Mountain, or Zora's Domain, or Ordon? She is far more direct than that. Either she has come to the city with you, or there is something more important that calls her attention, and what could be more important than this?"

_Trapped_, Link thought. Should he reveal that Zelda was actually present in town and not participating? Surely he couldn't be truthful and state that she was looking for the hostages, that would only make her job harder and riskier. What excuse could he come up with for her absence from the city?

In his uncertainty, he looked to Darbus. The Goron seemed to be at as much of a loss as Link. Link then looked to Ralis, and noticed the same expression that was on Darbus' face. _Trapped._

* * *

Mikel kicked in the door to Lord Harled's manor house. Immediately, he, Zelda, Ilon, Haldric, and Astry dispersed, searching through every room and behind every door. Servants protested, some tried to run. All of the were overtaken by the Sheiah and tied and gagged, except for the squire, who made it out of the back of the house instead of trying to stop the intruders.

Zelda figured that the servants wouldn't know of the evil that she suspected Harled of, so she insisted that the servants be treated gently. As her companions tore the building apart, she tried to hold a conversation with the servants individually to get any information she could.

A few she tried to persuade by admitting that she was Princess Zelda. After the second spit to the face, she gave up that strategy. Next she tried to threaten them and intimidate them, but she found she lacked the ability to strike fear into people's hearts. Finally, she just explaining that she was investigating allegations that the Duke was into some sordid affair.

"It's that squire, ask him," a maid finally said. "He's kept far more informed than any of us."

"I'm afraid the squire wasn't here when we arrived, or he got away," said Zelda

"Then he got away. I myself don't know anything, but something strange has been going on around here for the past few months, ever since that twilight business ended."

"What do you mean?"

"Strange visitors come and go, and the King visits in secret at night often, or he used to. And we seem to be using a lot more food, though I don't see where any of it goes."

"Thank you. You've confirmed my suspicions."

Zelda resumed searching the manor, but was soon interrupted by the unmistakable sound of a sword being drawn. She turned her head to see Duke Harled approaching her.

"There's a pretty price for that dirty face of yours, Your Highness. I do hope you won't mind if I intend to collect on it."

Zelda ran because she was unarmed. She knocked over anything she could to make noise to draw the Sheikahs' attention and to impede Harled's progress towards her. She heard footsteps in the upper rooms, and the clatter of metal-on-metal, and guessed that Harled had brought a few soldiers of his own.

Zelda made her way through rooms of the house, through doors, over furniture. She at last found herself in a round, dark room that must have been a practice space for swordsmanship skills There was a door on either side, and an array of armaments along the wall. She selected and drew a blade of her own from the rack and got ready for Harled.

"Now, now, Princess, don't be cute. I promise you this will be far less painful for you if we do this the easy way." Zelda held her ground. "No? So be it."

The Duke figured that she was bluffing, just clinging to a sword as a slight hope of defence, while at the same time, being over confidant in his rather limited training. He stood at one door, she at another. Harled gave a broad overhead swing as he came towards her, easily deflected by Zelda, leaving him exposed. She lunged forward, but he stepped back, mostly dodging her sword, but making a small gash near to his stomach. This left them both in the middle of the room, perpendicular to the doors.

They both returned to a defensive stance, preparing for the other to make a move. In truth, neither were particularly good with a sword, so neither were willing to make another opening strike. Except for the squire, who had gotten in the door that had been behind Zelda a moment ago.

Zelda felt the tip of a cold steel blade press against her back behind her heart. Harled noticed this and said, "Now, your highness, if you would please drop your weapon so we can conclude this affair neatly. Or not..."

Astry placed her blade on the Duke's shoulder, a flick of the wrist away from severing critical arteries. Apparently, she had gotten in the on Harled's side in much the same way as the squire had on Zelda's. "If you would be so kind as to drop your weapon," she addressed the squire.

"Actually, don't," Harled addressed him. "If anything happens to me, he kills Zelda. Anything happens to Zelda, you kill me. If only there were some way to break this stalemate... Oh, yes, I have more guards coming. So let's all just stay nice and calm until they arrive, and hopefully an archer is in their numbers and shoots you."

"Zelda!" Mikel shouted, and he stormed into the room. In unison, everyone shouted for him to stop, and he did, seeing the delicate situation. However, Mikel saw something they couldn't because of where he was standing. To make sure that didn't change, he kept their attention drawn on him. He laughed. "How did this happen? This is such a bizarre situation! What is this, a competition to see who falls asleep first? If I didn't know any better, I'd-" he was cut off by a painful scream from the squire, which came to an abrupt halt.

Thanks too Mikel's distraction, Ilon was able to get behind the squire and in a quick move with his concealed dagger, sliced the tendons on the inside of his wrist that was holding a sword to Zelda. Before he hit the ground, Ilon slit his throat as well.

A second later, a brief scream followed by a loud crash was heard in the foyer, and then again. They didn't know how they were able to recognize the sound, but they all knew it was the sound of Haldric throwing the last two of Harled's guards off the balcony on the upper floor onto the marble tile below. A minute later, Harled joined the practice room as well.

Zelda was the first to speak. "Well, now that we're all here, perhaps we should just ask Harled were the hostages are."

"I have no clue what you're talking about," he said. Astry flicked her blade from his shoulder to his neck as a reminder, allowing a small trickle of blood to be released from his neck, to which he said, "Go ahead, kill me. You have no evidence, no justification. It will just be murder."

"No, it will be justified," said Zelda, "just not evidenced."

"Or perhaps it will be," Mikel muttered to himself, as he leaned down to the squire's dead form to examine something. "Look at his blood."

They all did so, but except for Harled who already knew, no one noticed anything wrong, until, "It's flowing through the wall," commented Zelda.

There was a small crack between the floor and the wall that the blood was flowing under. Mikel got up from the dead body and pressed his sword against the wall. It passed right through. He punched the wall, and his fist also broke through. He put both hands through the hole, grabbed onto the sides, and pulled. A thin sheet of masonry grout dislodged from the rest of the wall, and a staircase was exposed.

Zelda ran in, closely followed by Ilon. The stairs lead down to a crudely build dungeon, or prison. The clinking of steal chains was heard, and as Zelda turned the corner, her knees gave way, and she whispered, "goddesses..." Entire families were bound by the feet to the walls. Wives, Brothers, sisters, children, even toddlers.

When Zelda regained her composure, she asked Ilon for his dagger, to which he complied. She walked back up the stairs, held the dagger out, made her way to Harled, and pressed it against his throat. Haldric made to protest, but Ilon shook his head at him.

Zelda said in but a whisper, and with an uncontrolled rage and an unsteady hand, "You tell me where the keys are, and I swear, I just might not slit your throat here and now."

Harled made no mistake about Zelda's voice, she was serious. He couldn't get his throat to work, so he pointed at the body of his squire. Ilon rummaged through his pockets and found the keys.

Zelda let the blade linger where is was for a moment, debating with her self. Finally, she lowered the dagger and turned around to walk away. Two steps later, she changed her mind and lunged at Harled with all the fury and pent up rage of everything that's happened over the last several weeks.

Mikel moved in just quick enough and grabbed her by the wrist, making the dagger miss the Duke's heart.

"Let go!" she yelled.

"Princess..." he said.

"Let go! That's an order!" she yelled louder.

"Zelda, that's my family down there," he whispered. "If anyone here has the right to let this man's blood flow from his heart, and over their hands, it's me. But his death at this point is as worthless as his life, and we can't have the rightful ruler needlessly slaughter her subjects."

Zelda dropped the dagger and sat down against the wall to calm herself. Ilon and Haldric went into the dungeons below to release the prisoners. Astry tied Harled up and watched him, and Mikel watched over Zelda as she cooled off.

When the children were brought up, their eyes were covered so that they wouldn't see the blood that had been spilt. The faint of heart did likewise, and they all were brought to an adjacent room. When Mikel's daughter's joyous shouts of "daddy, daddy" filled the air, Zelda was herself again.

"Ilon, we have something still to do," she said.

* * *

**Tune in next week for the conclusion to this side plot! And don't forget to review and critique!**


	13. Rhetoric

Well, sorry for the two-month absence. The second half of that semester was pretty busy, but I always wished I had more time to work on this.

So, short chapter. Just wanted to say that I'm still around, and should be around a bit more for a while. I do have some pretty big things going on this summer in terms of my job and going to china for research and doing my graduation thesis, but hopefully I'll be able to get some time to work on this.

* * *

**Chapter 12: Rhetoric**

"Either she has come to the city with you, or there is something more important that calls her attention, and what could be more important than this?" Varnum's question still lingered in the air, unanswered.

Link began to feel a little panicked. He had underestimated just how cunning Varnum was, and now found himself in a lose-lose situation. How could he explain Zelda's absence without exposing her sensitive mission?

Darbus was also keenly aware of the situation. Unlike Link, however, his emotions shifted to rage rather than anxiety. The Goron had to consciously suppress his urge to overcome the royal guards and maim the King.

Ralis, on the other hand, accepted that Varnum had outsmarted them all, and accepted that. He could see in the faces of his companions their resolve to beat Varnum on all fronts: The Goron had his pride, his stubbornness; the Ordonian had his unique intensity, the determination to never back down. The young Zoran Prince knew what had to be done.

"Princess Zelda's actions are her own. We are not answerable to, nor truly aware of, her present whereabouts. Suffice it to say that she is not here with us, though perhaps she may join us as the day wears on," Ralis finally answered. He had surrendered this line of questioning, albeit as cleanly and diplomatically as he could.

Varnum smiled to himself, satisfied. He changed subject quickly, before his adversaries could take control of the situation. "Very well then. Perhaps... perhaps we should discuss something more immediate? How about we sort out this whole affair with the trade negotiations?"

"Affair?" boomed Darbus. "It took two years of delicate negotiations to sort out those agreememts between myself, Princess Zelda, and the late Queen Rutela. The only 'affair' is your cancellation of the accords!"

"On the contrary, dear Patriarch," began Varnum, "the affair was in the negotiations in the first place. You Gorons were the main source of construction stone and iron for the kingdom. The Zora controlled the rivers and streams, the quickest and most utilized shipping channels. What did us Hylians have to offer? Oh yeah, military protection. At the time these negotiations were made, we had been at peace for over a century. Our main asset that we brought to the negotiation was seen as unnecessary."

Ralis replied, "Even if you think you got a poor deal in negotiations that took place almost two decades ago, that does not give you a right to cancel them without first discussing it with the other Regents. Look at your people, look at your market! Can you not see the harm that you've done to your own people by cancelling the trade agreements? The people that chose you to lead them? What kind of a King would willingly harm his own people without first seeking out a diplomatic solution?"

Varnum bit his lip; he had been careless. The Zoran Prince was able to exploit his argument before he could even make it. It was clear on the faces of the populace that they now held some serious concern over the person that now ruled them.

Varnum decided to try and control the damage. "Prince of the Zora, perhaps you are too young, to naive in the ways politics actually works, but it takes significant action to bring about significant changes, such as a revision of the trade agreements. I simply chose to not waste time with the political strategies that seldom accomplish anything."

Even though, as primarily a farmer and rancher, the subject of the current debate was over Link's head, he found an opening. "I risked my life countless times to protect these people, every one of them. Most of the time, I felt like there was no way what I was doing would actually work. But I stayed with it, because that meant protecting my family, my friends, my countrymen. To think that the person who now sits on the throne could so easily lose sight of their duty to protect the people just sickens me. If there was a chance that these renegotiations could have occurred without any suffering, don't you think it is essential that you pursue such a route?"

"It seems like I am at a disadvantage in this debate, gentlemen," Varnum stated. "I have studied economics and politics for much of my life, and am thus obliged to base my arguments in history and reason, where as you, my opponents, consist of a farmhand, a prince who has ruled for a mere few months, and the patriarch of a race that prefers isolation rather than cooperation."

Finally, to Link's relief, a long-awaited voice joined the debate. "So you propose that those in power in Hyrule should all be those who have been brought up in wealthy families, who have never done a hard day's work in their life, who have always been above the influence of the laws they pass, who have no interaction with the people they would rule, and whose entire knowledge comes from books? No wonder this great kingdom has fallen to its current condition, for only a man who believes such foolish things as you could make such wrong decisions."

Everyone in the crowd had by now turned to see Princess Zelda standing at the western entrance to the town square. With her were Mikel, who had Duke Harled bound by the hands and leashed, as well as nearly fifty women and children, the families of those Varnum had chosen to coerce into serving him. The three Sheikah were also nearby, but did not make themselves noticable.

Varnum saw the families, and positioned himself to escape back into the castle walls should the need arise. Saer, who had stayed close to him the entire time, saw this reaction and put himself in a position to intercept Varnum should he choose to attempt to escape.

"Well, Zelda, I see you managed to make it after all," Varnum stated. Zelda, Mikel, and Harled made their way to the center of the square, where Link, Ralis, and Darbus were, as was Varnum. The area around them was clear of citizens, as Varnum had signaled his guards keep the center of the square clear upon his arrival.

Mikel drew his sword and prodded Harled's ribs with the tip of it in a prearranged signal. Harled confessed, "Varnum has kidnapped the family of or blackmailed nearly every military officer or nobleman. In return for ample pay, I accepted these hostages on my own property."

Zelda confidently and coolly asked the usurper, "Any clever lies you have left to tell now, Varnum?"

Varnum saw the soldiers whose loyalty he had formerly stolen move to surround him. His escape back to the castle shut off, and his betrayals and lies exposed, there was but one course left for him to take. Vengeance.

Varnum sprang to one of his former guards who had their sword drawn. Caught entirely by surprise, the soldier was knocked down as Varnum's shoulder collided with his breastplate as Varnum snatched his sword from him.

Now armed, the Usurper sprinted at Zelda. Link sprang after him immediately, but wasn't sure if he could make it in time. The Sheikah were closer, but had to fight their way through the crowd to get to Zelda. Saer had positioned himself to cut off Varnum's escape, and naturally couldn't reach Varnum before he got to Zelda.

The King, having given into his emotion, was blind to the situation and how vulnerable Zelda actually was at that moment. He grasped the sword with both hands and raised it over his head, readying to cleave her head from her shoulders. So surrendered to his hatred at that moment was he that he failed to notice that Zelda was staring at him, unmoved, unconcerned, something that would normally cause him to analyze his situation.

He was almost at her now. He began his swing, knowing that by the time the sword was at neck-height, the Princess would be in his range. But halfway through the stroke, he felt a sudden resistance. Link, still out of arm's reach of him, had dove forward when he saw the sword move, and had caught Varnum by the wrist. Just as this happened, Mikel stepped in front of Varnum with his sword drawn, and only had to hold his weapon in place as the momentum provided by Link's collision with Varnum ensured that the King was impaled by the sword of the Captain of the Royal Guard.

The did exactly what it was designed to do with out sympathy, and lodged itself between Varnum's ribs, through his heart. Due to the combined momentum of both Link and Varnum, the blade almost pierced through Varnum and into Link as well, but for Mikel stumbling backwards from the impact.

The air was heavy with silence and Varnum's last few breaths. There was some struggling and shifting of bodies as well, as Link and Mikel untangled themselves from Varnum's expiring corpse and each others living bodies.

Though, by the time of his death, Varnum was universally despised by all who had born witness to the recent events, everyone remained silent, uncertain how to break-in such a significant moment.

But then Link knew how, stating, "As Midna said, a fake is a fake...and no matter how much you dress it up, the real thing always wins."

Zelda looked up in surprise at Link. Link gave her a warm smile, and she couldn't help smiling back at him.

Mikel interrupted the moment, and knelt in front of Zelda, head bowed. "Your Highness, I played an important role in Varnum's attempt to steal the crown. Though I was coerced into helping him be the threat of the safety of my family, I do not apologize for my actions. I have learned that your safety, and that of Hyrule is not my primary concern, but that of my family. Therefore, I hereby resign from my position as Captain."

Mikel removed his sword of rank and laid it at Zelda's feet. He stood up, bowed to her again, and left to be with his family.

Zelda thoughtfully picked up the weapon, and turned to Link. "I know I've told you to never bow or kneel before me, but for what I'm about to do, tradition asks that you show me the traditional deference. Link of Ordon, take a knee."

Link stood in place for a minute, putting together the pieces of what was about to happen. When he realized what Zelda's intentions were, he had mixed feelings about it, but knew he couldn't defy her in front of everyone right then. He took a knee and bowed his head.

"Link of Ordon," Zelda began, "for the invaluable services you have repeatedly and selflessly bestowed upon this country, I hereby proclaim you a Knight of Hyrule, Captain of the Royal Guard, and Lieutenant of the Army. Arise, Sir Ordon."

Link cringed at being called "sir", but he stood up anyway. He whispered to Zelda, "Lieutenant?"

She quietly told him, "That's the highest rank. Basically, anyone with a sword and royal garb, you're in charge of. Also, I know it's no Master Sword, but it's tradition that you carry this sword, at least on formal occasions, like now." Zelda handed over the Captain's Sword, and Link reluctantly took it.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, this little side-plot of Zelda getting usurped took longer than expected... But onwards and upwards, to Ganondorf! Well, I suppose that's downwards. I'm sure some of you are just itching for a dungeon and action or something. Don't worry, that's coming up. Some of you are also probably wondering when Midna comes into all of this... Well, that's still a little ways off, but will become clearer when we meet Ganondorf.


	14. Nostalgia

**Lost and Found**

Link stood alone in his room, staring at a black crystal the size of his fist that was lying on the floor. This crystal as the physical manifestation of the very curse that had been lain upon him. Since it was brought into existence by the power of the Triforce, Link knew instinctively that same power, some of which he bears, should be able to destroy the Shadow Crystal. More useful to Link, however, would be the ability to control the power of the Shadow Crystal, instead of being controlled by it.

He sat down on the floor, directly in front of the crystal. Using a form of the protective magic the Shade had taught him, he engulfed the Shadow crystal. He could vaguely feel the different type of magic emanating from the crystal passing through the barrier he had made. Concentrating on the barrier and the shadow magic at the same time, he tried to reform the protection spell around the crystal in such a way that the foreign magic would not be able to pass through. Finally, after concentrating on it for some minutes, he felt like it had worked. Excitedly, he snatched up the crystal, barrier spell intact, and waited.

Nothing happened. He looked at himself, staring at his clothing and hands and feet, and found that he was still human. He had spent the last three days, since Varnum's death, working on this specific aspect of controlling the power of his Triforce. Finally, after the hours of frustrated lack of progress, he did it. In the rush of excitement in his accomplishment, his concentration slipped from the spell, and he found himself undergoing the familiar lupine transformation again.

Link was as removed from the command and authority of his new position as he could be. Granted, in a time of peace, the responsibilities of Lieutenant of the Military were rather lax. Link's duties consisted of attending political counsels to keep informed on public policy and the rules the guards were to uphold, tracking the funds the military received and trying to convince a budget committee why he needed additional funds to undo the incurred damage to the military more than anyone else, and maintaining and improving the condition of the military.

Anything he thought he could get away with, he delegated to a senior officer. He elected stand-ins to represent him in the myriad of committees and meetings and delegations that he was supposed to take part in. Link defended this practice to other people with the reasoning that he lacks the experience and perspective to understand these meetings.

Having dodged most of his duties, Link spent his time on tasks of more interest to him. Namely, the training of new recruits. As soon as Link was granted his position, he was inundated with reports from every division concerning their losses during the twilight invasion and the numbers of "required soldiers" to maintain "minimum defence."

It wasn't quite two weeks after Varnum's death that the trials for the military applicants was held. Each soldier has to pass a battery of tests, and their performance on these tests indicates the position that they would be best suited for. There were tests for horsemanship for cavalry divisions, strategy and tactics for command positions, marksmanship for archery divisions, combat skills for guard and soldiery divisions, etc.

Link, in addition to the usual officers who administered the tests, watched and took his own mental notes, both looking for deficits in the military's procedure – such as the apparent lack of interest in horseback archery – as well as individual soldiers that particularly stood out to him.

After two weeks of basic training for the soldiers, which consisted mostly of rigorous exercises to increase the general fitness of the soldiers, Link summoned the soldiers that had stood out to him, the ones that excelled in one test without suffering in others and the ones that performed exceptionally over all. Total, there were about four dozen of these soldiers at the meeting place they had been informed of in the castle courtyard..

"Gentlemen," Link began, "I have called you here because I have an idea, and experiment. While there is a place for soldiers who can stand in formations and follow orders, there are other skills that should not be, but are, under-appreciated in the military. Abilities that allowed me to accomplish what I had accomplished during the Twilight Invasion.

"What I have in mind is to create a group of fighters, consisting of you all here today, that are more than mere soldiers. You will be trained to adapt to situations, and to survive in situations outside of what a typical soldier might encounter. Basically, I will be teaching you from the experiences I learned in my travels.

"I personally selected each of you because of how you performed in the early trials. However, I must admit that your training will be rougher than the other divisions. Because of this, it would be unfair for me to order your participation. If you choose, you may resume your training in the divisions you were initially chosen for.

"I am unprepared at the moment for what I have planned, so you are dismissed. Consider today your last day to relax and enjoy yourself as I make arrangements for what's to come."

Link watched as the recruits vacated the yard, then he left himself. Instead of going back to the barracks like the soldiers though, he took a trip to the southern edge of the city, to visit a familiar bar.

True to her nature, Link was greeted by Telma before he hand even spotted her. "Well well, look how it is! Between you and Zelda, this seems to be on the verge of becoming the most popular bar for the aristocracy of the city!"

"Only the most trusted one, Telma," Link responded.

"I'll take what I can get," Telma said. "Business isn't doing particularly great at the moment, what with that usurper cancelling the trade agreements and failing to maintain relations with the other neighbouring communities."

"Just be patient, things will get better," Link told her. "Zelda is working on reestablishing all the old trade agreements."

"Yeah, I know, and bless her heart for it. It's just hard to be in this situation regardless of what you know is going on. But enough about me," Telma abruptly changed subject, "How about you, what brings you here?"

"What, I can't just stop by for a drink?" Link asked.

"Link," Telma began, "if there's anything I've learned over the last year, it's that there's always something going on. And where there's something happening, you're likely to be involved. You never 'just stop by for a drink.'"

Link laughed. "I guess so. I'd like to, and I mean to, but I guess there really is always something more pressing. But since you ask, I'm here to see the group. I have a business proposition for them."

"Well, they're in the back as usual," Telma said.

Link headed to the familiar table in the back where Ashei, and Auru were. "I'm glad that some of you are actually here. I was worried I'd have to send a letter to everyone."

Auru told him, "Actually, we're all in town. Shad is at the Castle going through the old documents and record books from the library to help in it's organization after reconstruction, and Rusl is here doing business on behalf of the Ordona province."

"Perfect! Can you all meet me at the entrance to the Castle tomorrow morning?" Link asked.

"What for?" replied Ashei.

"Basically, in light of how little the soldiers accomplished when Hyrule was under attack, I have decided to personally train a group of the most promising individuals," Link explained. "I have no clue what I'm doing and once again ask your help. Given my new position, I can make it an actual payed position, allowing you all stay here for a while instead of travelling all the time."

"What about Rusl?" asked Auru. "His travelling is determined by the trade agreements and crop deliveries."

"Harvest season is nearing an end. I doubt he'll mind another source of income in the off-season," Link explained.

"I am intrigued by this," responded Auru. "What exactly is it you expect from us?"

"To be honest, I'm not quite sure yet." Link laughed. "You all have earned your meddle in one way or another, and have proved yourselves invaluable in driving back the twilight. All of our skills and experiences put together should make for one hell of a teacher."

The next morning, everyone from the Resistance, including Link, was gathered just outside the east gate of the city. Link was currently still trying to put together a lesson plan of sorts, drawing from the collective experiences of his pool of people that he had more trust in than any of the traditional trainers.

"So here is what I'm thinking. We break the group up into four equal size groups, one for each of you. Rusl, as you taught me the sword and horsemanship, I think you should teach them. Ashei, knowing you abilities as a scout, I think you should teach them survival and tracking and the like, as well as archery. Shad, you're a master of history and legend. I want you to teach everything about military history, from decisive battles to military strategies to fortifications, everything that worked and didn't work. Auru, because of your military background, I want you to put them through the more important training that typical soldiers undergo, things that boost discipline and cooperation, as well as certain useful skill sets like first aid. For now, each of you will get two weeks with a group of recruits, then they'll switch and be taught by someone else for a total of 8 weeks."

"And what will you be doing?" Rusl asked.

"I'll be around whenever I can. Unfortunately, there are often other duties that require me to be elsewhere. Don't worry, the recruits still see plenty of me. We've been up for several hours already doing exercises.

In the end, Link was pleased with how well his plan worked, his only regret being that he had to be involved in the training of all the other recruits as well, in addition to the few bureaucratic duties that he couldn't delegate to others. The more Link watched the normal training program, the more he was pleased with his special program.

One day he might be watching the regular recruits learn to twirl their swords to make their formations look more elegant. Meanwhile, his selected recruits were learning more useful skills like horseback combat, what plants are edible in such-and-such location, how to apply a tourniquet, and how a small Gerudo force managed to seize a well defended position from the Hylian army during their uprising five hundred years ago. Link was half tempted to start a revolution with his little band of soon-to-be soldiers just to see how well they'd fair.

Quicker than he would have guessed, the eight weeks were over. Link decided to give them all a test to see how well their training went, and how adaptable they were. He would split the recruits into two teams, and make them compete against each other. Not only that, but he'd do this in the most hostile environment he knew: Snowpeak.

It was a week long march from the Castle to the base of the mountain where he planned on making the soldiers compete. The last day of their march Link explained his idea to his teachers, the members of the Resistance.

"There will be an even number of men on both teams. Each team will have to set up a camp or base of sorts. Their goal is to defend that base, and specifically a person inside it – Auru and Shad, you'll be the people being defended, Ahsei and Rusl, I want you out watching and making a note of everything you see.

"Everyone will have their training swords, and they may fight each other, or ambush another. Anyone who would have been killed if the weapons were real has to stand out for the rest of the time. This was the best way I could think of to test everything you all have been teaching them: the scouting skills from Ashei; strategy from Shad; combat from Rusl; and miscellaneous soldiery skills from Auru. I don't know about you all, but I'm certainly excited."

The others were excited as well, but not by the weather. Only Link and Ashei were experienced with the northern mountains.

They arrived at camp and immediately Ashei and Link began instructing everyone – including Shad, Rusl, and Auru – on how to build a quinzhee properly, and that the next day they would begin with the tests that they came here for.

Link had no intention to sleep in a snow-cave that night though, and once everyone from the camp had gone to sleep for the night, he stole away up the mountain to reminisce with nostalgia. In a warm coat of fur he howled at the sunset, expressing the longing he had been forced to repress for the last several months, sharing his secret anguish with the emerging stars. Finally, he fell asleep in the snow.

He woke up suddenly with that suspicion that he wasn't alone.

"Sleep well?" Hero's Shade asked.

Link turned to see the ethereal golden wolf approach, and responded, half questioningly, half relieved, "You found him..."

Shade told him, "He took refuge in an old Gerudo temple. Ready to finish this?"

"You're the one that has to die if we win... Are you?" Link responded.

Hero's Shade sighed, "It's been a thousand years. Believe me, I'm ready for it. The Sages and I will be at the Mirror Chamber. Meet us there as soon as you can."

The golden wolf disappeared, leaving Link alone on the mountain top. He hurried his way down to the camp as a wolf and reverted back to his human form right before he got there. He found Auru's quinzhee and woke the older man up.

"Auru, something urgent has come up. I have to leave immediately," Link told him.

"What is it? Anything we can help with?"Auru asked.

Link told him, "I'm afraid not. Continue with the war game as planned, but then get back to the Castle. Double the watch guard, day and night shifts both. The Resistance should be as vigilant as they were during the twilight invasion while I'm gone. Finally, in my absence, I am putting you in command of this group of soldiers."

"I don't understand, Link," Auru said. "You give orders like we're expecting an invasion, but you also say to stay here as planned? What's going on?"

"If there is an immediate threat, you'll hear from me very soon and plans will change. If you don't hear from me, that means that there is no immediate threat that will be increased by this little group being gone from Hyrule for and extra day or two."

Before Auru could ask for more information, Link had left the snow-structure. Auru went out to catch him, but by the time the old man made it outside, Link was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

_Man this was a hard chapter to write. It took forever to think of a way to bridge the conclusion of that usurping subplot to the events in the prologue so I can merge into the next thing. But yes, we are back where the story started (I never would have guessed that it was going to take this long to write the backstory!)._

_Anyway, awesome things are on the way. In two chapters is the first of three big events I've been waiting to write for nearly a year. I'll do my best to make it as awesome as it is in my head._

_And 60,000+ words! Woooooo!_


	15. So it Begins

**Chapter 14: So It Begins**

It was hardly dusk when Link appeared in the Castle Courtyard. As usual, the magic it took to transport him from Snowpeak strained him, and he had to lie down on the grass, panting and sweating, feeling slightly nauseous, before he could continue. What made it worse was the fact that there are no strong magic signatures he could use to follow here, like there were with the spirit springs and the Mirror Chamber. It took substantially more energy for Link to control jumps like these.

A few guards had walked by at some point, but to Link's annoyance, as he was their commander, they never noticed him. Eventually, Link felt well enough to continue. He got up and walked, through the courtyard, and right into the castle. He was so used to having to sneak around the guards that he felt odd not doing so now.

Link soon found Zelda's room and knocked on the door. Quickly a servant came running over from down the hall to protest the noise and the disturbance of the Princess.

"My Lord," she said, "Her Highness is still asleep. Whatever urgent business you may have, I ask that you keep it for a few hours."

"I don't have a few hours," Link said.

"If it is so urgent, then allow me to take a message into her chamber, and if she wills it, then I will let you in," the servant firmly stated.

"Not going to happen," Link replied, as he knocked on the door again. He had no doubt that Zelda would want to hear the news.

The servant hissed between her teeth, "Sir, I really must protest to this racket this early-"

"Link... who else would it be." Zelda had opened the door and cut off the servant with her lack of surprise. "Lona, please forgive his lack of manners. He grew up in a barn, after all."

The servant, Lona, still seemed a little confused, so Zelda ordered her to fetch them tea as she beckoned Link into her room. They stood in silence for a moment, Link unsure how to break the news, and Zelda unsure of Link's business here.

Zelda broke the stillness, saying, "You know, non-traditional visitations like these, and that night you passed out in my room a few months ago, have given rise to a rumour about us."

"Oh?" commented Link. "What about?"

"Must I really explain?" Zelda said. "I doubt you're really that naive."

"Oh." Link understood what she meant, an became apologetic. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that sort of gossip to arise."

Zelda laughed. "Don't worry. Think of it like this: as often as not, marriages and relationships of the Royal Family are based on political considerations. At the present time, because of your heroic status amongst the people, this sort of rumour only helps how the populace thinks of me. If someone they look up to shows such interest in me, then I must not be that bad."

Link nodded his head and said, "You're welcome."

Zelda laughed. "I wasn't exactly thanking you, per say... But I doubt this is what you came here to talk about. What is it that brings you here so early and in such a rush?"

"We found Ganondorf," Link said. "He's in a Gerudo Temple in the desert somewhere. I'm going after him."

"A temple?" Zelda puzzled. "The only thing I know of out there is Arbiters Grounds, and surely the sages would have noticed if he was there."

At this point there was a knock on the door. Lona had brought tea like she was asked too, and Zelda dismissed her.

"I know what you mean," Link agreed. "I've been in the desert a bit more than you, and that's all I've seen as well."

"I wonder if it might be a part of Old Hyrule..." Zelda mused to herself.

Link didn't know what she was talking about, so asked, "Old Hyrule?"

Zelda explained, "It's a long story, and judging by the fact that you barged in here so early in the morning, you don't have time to hear the whole story. I don't even know the whole legend, but I'll tell you what I can remember

"Hundreds of years ago, Ganondorf had amassed a massive army. This was his first return after the Sages and the Hero of Time banished him to the Sacred Realm With this army, he tore through Hyrule with little resistance, destroying villages, farms, whatever was in his path, and killing everyone he came across. The people prayed and prayed to the Goddesses, and finally the spiritual leaders of the time received a sign. Following their instructions, everyone headed to higher ground. Before Ganondorf's army could attack the exposed people, the Goddesses let loose a torrential flood. The seas rose and overtook the plains, then the towns, and imprisoned the army within the flood.

"For an age, the people lived in peace until the first of my descendants to confront Ganondorf set out after him. The Princess Zelda at the time had also been captured. As the three of them found themselves in such close proximity, the affinity the Triforce shards have for each other overcame their attachment to their bearers and united into the whole Triforce, just outside the reach of all of them.

"The true King of Hyrule, who till then was thought to have died quite some time before, chose this moment to reveal himself. He managed to reach the Triforce, and with it's power, he destroyed the sullied land of Hyrule. The King himself was slain before he had time to redirect his attention, and the Triforce split again. Finally, the Link of the aged fought Ganondorf, and with the help of Zelda, defeated him.

"The land that was Hyrule, having been burned, marred by the evil forces of Ganondorf, and then flooded, was abandoned by the remaining people of the mountaintops. They set sail northward across the Great Sea. Gradually, the Goddesses' flood-waters receded and the sea lowered, and the Hylians hit ground on the highest point in what is now Hyrule Field. Here they set up the center of a new kingdom, and the place where they landed is none other then the place we now call Castle Town.

"So this isn't even the original land of Hyrule?" Link asked?

Zelda told him, "It is not. I believe we are further north than Old Hyrule. Think of how far Ordon is from Castle Town, then think of how much farther away the Temple of Time, where you gained the Master Sword, is. That Temple was the very northernmost border of Old Hyrule, whose population and land area were both substantially greater than Hyrule as you know it."

"And this desert temple?" Link asked.

"Probably belonged to the Gerudo Tribe, before they were defeated and the survivors assimilated into Hylain society."

Link was silent for a moment, before switching topics. "Well, I've lingered here longer than I should have. I left Auru in command of the trainees up north. I left him with orders to relay to the guard division here since I want to stay on the move, but since I'm here... Zelda, could you give orders in the morning to double the guard and lookout duties?"

"Yes, I can take care of that for you. Are you expecting another invasion?" Zelda asked.

"No," he replied. "Ganondorf is hiding because he's weak. But he is still dangerous, and a little precaution won't hurt."

"I agree. Link, be careful." Zelda feebly smiled at Link.

He returned the gesture, nodded and disappeared again, this time, to the Mirror Chamber.

* * *

When Link materialized in the Mirror Chamber, Hero's Shade gave him no mercy about how much the usage of magic strained him, and immediately jumped into discussing the plan. "There is an old Gerudo temple, called the Spirit Temple. It is a ways south of the parts of Hyrule that you know. This is where we will find Ganondorf."

"So do we have a plan?" asked Link, as he took a seat on the ground and closed his eyes in an effort to minimize the spinning sensation.

"It seems like he though he had eluded us, and didn't set up much in the way of defences in the temple," Shade said. "Unfortunately, he felt us looking for him, so once we located him, he set up what he could. It's hard to say what he's done to prepare for us; all we know for certain is that he's sealed the place up from magic, so you will need to find him in there on foot, instead of just jumping straight into the room he's in and engaging him. And looking at you know," Shade indicated Link's weakness, "I think you'd have better chances walking in the front door anyway."

"Wait, what do you mean, 'I'll' have to go in? I thought at least you would come, if not the sages as well," Link commented.

"It would be too risky for us," Shade replied. "You possess a physical strength none of us can match, and you bear a Triforce fragment. Outside of my sanctuary, I hold rather limited power. And as for the sages... well, you know what happened to the Sage of Water, and at a moment where all six sages were gathered together, no less."

"But isn't your life bound to his, making you practically immortal? What could possibly happen to you?" Link asked.

"Well, the sages are also said to be immortal, and look what Ganondorf was still able to do. The truth is, I'm not sure what he could accomplish if he had the upper hand in a fight. Possibly there is some way he can end me, perhaps he might just find a way to permanently imprison me or incapacitate me. I don't intent to find out. In a fair fight, I have no chance, but you do, which is why you're going. Now, the sun is rising, it is time to go," Shade finished. "I can deliver you to right outside the Temple itself so you don't strain yourself getting there. Ganondorf has the place sealed by magic, so once you go in, you'll be on your own."

"I understand," said Link. "I've faced him alone before, and I've learned a thing or two since then. Let's finish this."

Hero's Shade placed his hand on Link's shoulder and nodded. A familiar sensation later, Link found himself alone in a desert, far south of anything he had ever know. Above him, the sky was starting to grow light, though it was still mostly dark. To his sides were steep walls of a canyon, trapping him between the entrance to the canyon a few hundred meters behind, and in front, a giant, mostly-eroded sandstone sculpture with an entrance at it's foot.

Link entered the Spirit Temple. Initially, he thought he'd have to wait another hour before making any progress, in order to give the sun time to rise high enough that it's light might permeate the temple, but what he saw instead concerned him more.

There were numerous torches across the first room, illuminating well the slightly raised stage in the back, the steps leading up to it, and the broken statues flanking both sides of the steps. But what caught Link's attention the most was a wooden ladder that lead straight up into the ceiling. Because of the condition the ladder was in, it was obvious to Link that it was a recent addition. This room was meant to be travelled though, as if Ganondorf was expecting company.

Link inspected the ladder. It was securely fastened to the ground, with the legs somehow embedded into the floor. He tugged, pushed, and pulled on the ladder, but it budged in no direction. Cautiously, he placed his foot on the first rung, testing it's stability. It held his weight. In a similarly cautious manner, he climbed its length, and found himself in a corridor that made an immediate turn.

Suspicious of the lack of resistance he had met so far, Link drew the Master Sword from his shoulder and dropped his shield to his arm. He headed down the passageway; enough light from the numerous torches in the prior room made it's way into the hallway that Link was still able to see.

The passage made an abrupt left turn. Link followed it. Another left turn. He kept going, every hair standing on end now, practically holding his breath, waiting for any sign or resistance or noise. Finally, one right turn later, Link found himself in a great room, and beginning to doubt that Ganondorf was actually anywhere around.

Link walked around the room, hugging the wall so that nothing could approach him from behind. But he saw no enemies in the dim light. When he came across an unlit torch, he used his Triforce to light it. Light immediately filled the room, and Link had a clearer image of his surroundings. Against the back wall, immediately in front of the doorway he had entered through, was a a giant statue of what Link guessed was at some point a ruler of the people that built this temple. Above and to the sides of the entryway were a pair of interconnected balconies, leading to somewhere that Link couldn't guess.

Then a loud groaning sound filled the Temple, something rhythmic and mechanical. A ring of light became visible on the ceiling of the dark room, the unmistakably bright light of a rising sun. As Link's eyes adjusted to the flood of new light, he was able to discern the source: a small circular platform in the ceiling was being lowered by chains. On on this platform, stood his nemesis.

"Ganondorf!" Link exclaimed.

"I see you remembered my name," replied Ganondorf, the platform coming to a halt halfway between the floor and the ceiling. "Surely this should be an honor for me, seeing as to how you are both the Hero of Light and Twilight."

Link snarled at Ganondorf, saying, "Let's see if you keep making jokes once I impale you with this," Link said, raising the Master Sword threateningly.

Ganondorf laughed, contemptuously saying, "Good luck. As I recall, you needed the assistance of both Princess Zelda and that girlfriend of yours to even touch me. Speaking of which, where is that snotty little imp?"

Link remained silent, trying not to show his discomfort at the topic.

Ganondorf continued, "Oh yeah, she returned to the Twilight Realm, didn't she? And even went so far as to sever the only link between the worlds. Well, the only link for weak people, like your."

Link clenched his fists on his sword and shield, saying, "what do you mean?"

Ganondorf smiled sadistically. "Forget it. She went through such efforts to distance herself from you and Zelda. I'd hate to spoil her plan."

"If you are implying what I think you are, then that's just all the more reason to not allow you to leave this temple alive, to keep you from interfering in the Twilight ever again." Link was also curious about how Ganondorf knew exactly what had transpired in the Mirror Chamber, but knew better than to directly ask.

"Kill me? Don't kid yourself, kid," Ganondorf said dismissively. "It took you, your Hylian friends, and the regents of two kingdoms to fail to kill me last time. The only reason things even got as far as they did was because the entire power of the Fused Shadow was released on me, essentially draining my own power. And you still barely managed to beat me then."

"I have few surprises of my own, now," Link replied.

"Parlour tricks, no doubt," Ganondorf said. "I will admit that you are a huge nuisance, though, and the closest thing this world has to presenting a challenge to me. In short, you are a distraction. Give up while you can."

"Not a chance," said Link.

"Let's try that again: Get in my way, and I will see to it that everyone you care about suffers. Even if I have to travel between worlds."

That final threat pushed Link's buttons more than he would have liked, replacing some of his self control with rage. That was Ganondorf's plan.

Ganondorf smiled. "It brings me significant pleasure to watch everyone of you confront me with such determination, while at the same time, never seeming to realize how futile your actions are. I have been stabbed with that sword seven times, yet I have out lived everyone of your ancestors who thought they had killed me. Everyone except you, that is."

Ganondorf crossed his arms and stepped off the platform onto the air, controlling his decent so that he slowly drifted to the ground before continuing, "And who am I to defy tradition?" Ganondorf drew the Sage's Sword of Execution from his sheath, the ethereal white light having been corrupted to an unnatural red.

Ganondorf raised his sword over head, half way across the room. Link could feel him putting energy into the sword, but not much. Ganondorf swung, letting lose a familiar ball of magic. Link deflected it back with his own sword. Ganondorf batted it back, but due to bad timing, missed Link entirely.

Ganondorf growled in frustration before trying again. He raised his sword again, and Link could feel even less power behind it than last time. Link made his move. Before Ganondorf could even cast the energy at, he charged. Ganondorf cast the magic as Link closed the distance, but it was readily deflected back at it's caster. Ganondorf quickly sidestepped the energy, hardly noticing Link nearing him. He raised his sword just in time to parry a thrust from the Master Sword.

Link used the momentum of Ganondorf's deflection and swung his sword around over his head and back down to the King of Evil's shoulder. This attack was easily blocked by Ganondorf. Link, however, put little force behind his swing as it was only a feint, causing Ganondorf to become sightly off balance when his sword met minimal resistance.

Link stepped in and raised his knee into the large man's stomach, causing him to cough and stumble back. Link called to him, "you are weak. Give up and I might show you mercy and end this quickly."

"Don't get cocky," Ganondorf replied, and subsequently swung his blade at Link's neck. Link brought his sword up and blocked, and after the swords rebounded, Link managed to bring the flat part of the blade of the of the Master Sword against the grip of the Sword of Execution, with Ganondorf's hand being caught between the two. The impact broke Ganondorf's hand, causing him to drop his sword.

Link quickly shoved his shoulder into the large mass of his opponent and pushed him back while he was off guard. Link dropped his shield and picked up the Sword of Execution in his freed hand.

Link thrust his new sword at his nemesis, overconfident in his new advantage, but Ganondorf grabbed Link's thrusting arm by the wrist. Before Ganondorf could do anything, Link swung the Master Sword in a panicked effort to free himself. The tip of the blade managed to catch the stronger man below his ribs, and the blade was able to inflict enough pain that he released his grip.

Additionally, the wound of the Master Sword created conflict with the Triforce of Power, which interrupted the magic barrier Ganondorf had placed on the Spirit Temple. Within seconds, Hero's Shade had appeared as the apparition of the golden wolf, but he only watched, waiting for the moment to act.

Link made ready to charge again. Ganondorf yelled, "Wait," but Link ignored him, thrusting forward with the Sword of Execution. With a speed that Link was not expecting, Ganondorf dodged the sword and grabbed Link by the wrist. The more massive man was able to use Link's momentum and redirect him into a wall.

Link made contact shoulder first, and the pain caused him to drop the Sword of Execution. He turned in time to see Ganondorf coming at him. Instinctively, he raised the Master Sword just at the last moment, causing it to impale Ganondorf in the stomach.

Link struggled to push his large mass back a few feet, and pulled the sword from his gut. Ganondorf fell to his knees, gasping, "Wait!"

Link smiled sadistically, "Oh, I'm in no rush. I've got all the time in the world."

Ganondorf coughed on his blood, casually stating, "You don't have it in you."

"I do, because of you," Link said. "I just need to think about everything you've done."

"You mean like how I encouraged my puppet, Zant, to transform that snobby Twili Princess into a more suitable shape?" Ganondorf asked. "I can only imagine what you'd say if you knew how I made her beg for her death when she tried to show me down in the Castle, before I mercifully collapsed it on her. If only I had the luxury of time, there were plenty of vile things I could have done with that corpse. Perhaps I still can..."

The golden wolf apparition of Hero's Shade then morphed into his real stalfos-esque form. He noticed that despite his obviously inferior situation, Ganondorf maintained a calm, collected front, and furthermore was taunting Link with something very personal. "Link, just kill him, he's baiting you. End this now."

"Not yet," replied Link. He grabbed Ganondorf by the collar of his shirt and pressed the blade of the Master Sword against his throat, snarling between his teeth, "Why do you keep threatening me things that are impossible?"

"If you're so sure that they are so impossible, why do you stay your sword?" Ganondorf gave a crooked smile, his blood staining his teeth.

Hero's Shade interjected, "Link, he's leading you on. He's found your weakness and he's giving you a false hope so he can exploit it! Kill him!"

Link, still staring at Ganondorf, quietly said, "He's right. You're lying."

"Yet you still hesitate," Ganondorf replied. "You think the Mirror was the only way between realms? The mirror was broken you fool! How do you think me and Zant were able to travel between worlds?"

Link had to think about this for a moment, but he found a flaw in Ganondorf's story. "During the time time between when we first came across the broken mirror and when Midna rebuilt it, we did not see you or Zant at all."

Ganondorf revived that bloody smile again, saying, "Perhaps. But remember your battle with Zant. You met him in the Throne room of the Twilight, but the battle took place across the realms. As a matter of fact, your final blow was dealt right in front of Hyrule Castle. Did you every see the Mirror at this time? No. With the power of the Triforce, Zant was able to move between realms on a mere whim."

Link's mind was a racing cacophony of thoughts and emotions. Ganondorf's explanation certainly was contradictory to everything he had thought about the Mirror being broken, but it couldn't have come from a more dubious source.

"Link!" Hero's Shade called out, guessing the dissonance that going on in his mind.

Link ignored him, fixed on Ganondorf. "How?"

"I hardly have the motivation to tell you anything. As a matter of fact, perhaps it's better like this. Letting you kill me full well knowing how much you want to know what I know."

"You want motivation?" Link asked. He pulled the Master Sword away from Ganondorf's neck and quickly impaled it into the right side of his chest.

Ganondorf coughed some blood and made a gurgling sound, whereas any normal mortal would have been screaming in agony. Then he managed to say, "Goddesses damn you. You'll just have to kill me."

Link clenched his teeth, and twisted the master sword. He could feel muscle ripping and ribs spread and breaking in his chest. This time, Ganondorf did scream in pain.

"The Fused Shadow!" Ganondorf managed to say when Link stopped. "The Triforce embodies magic of the Light Realm, and can be used to pass through the barriers of this world. The Fused Shadow is Shadow Magic, and can be used to pass through the barriers of the Twilight Realm."

Link withdrew the Master Sword from Ganondorf's chest and stabbed him for a third time, through the heart. In a second, his body went limp, and Link withdrew the weapon. He approached Hero's Shade, handing him the Sword of Execution, and bitterly asked, "You and the Sages probably knew this whole time about everything he just told me, didn't you?"

The Shade did not reply.

Link continued. "Well here's your fucking sword. Enjoy. And since your lives are bound, I hope that when you kill him, you die too."

"Link-"

Before Hero's Shade even finished saying the name, Link had already made a jump back to the Mirror Chamber. He was immediately met by the Sages.

"What happened?" they demanded, an obvious sense of urgency to their voice.

"Ganondorf is dead. I left the Hero of Time there with the Sword of Execution to finish the job."

"No," The sages replied mournfully. "The King of Evil still Lives! As soon as you left, the barrier the kept us from seeing into the temple was recreated."

"But, how can..." Link's eyes grew wide. "I left Shade there. We need to get him out!"

Just then, the Sword of Execution appeared above the stone platform that once held the Mirror of Twilight, and fell to the ground, making a clatter unlike any other sword.

* * *

As soon as Link disappeared, the Shade looked over to the nigh dead Ganondorf. The King of Evil then disappeared in a whiff of black smoke. Shade looked around, puzzled, and worried, for he had just felt the barrier around the Temple go back up.

"I make a better and better phantom every time," came a booming voice from one of the poorly lit balconies above the main floor.

A large man jumped off of the upper balcony and, unlike the controlled decent of his phantom earlier, rode gravity all the way down, creating a loud crack when his feet hit the ground.

"As I recall, the phantom that you confronted all those years back didn't even have a face," Ganondorf said.

"Hard to say," replied Shade. "I was too busy imagining you face on it when I was trying to kill it."

"Now now. No need for such hostile words between us. It's been more than a thousand years since I first met you as a child in front of the Castle Gate. Please tell me you have more to offer than childish taunts like that."

"Well, I suppose I-" Shade cut himself off by kicking his foot into a pile of sand, spraying it into Ganondorf's face. He then took off, running back to the main entrance so he could make a jump back to somewhere safe. His wolf form was faster, but because of the barrier, he was unable to change.

He made it to the unlit tunnel between where Ganondorf was and the entrance to the Temple. He got to the ladder and, with his feet and hands on the outside supports, away from the rungs, he slid down it's length. He recovered from the recoil of his landing and stood back up, preparing for the final dash out the entrance.

But then a hand clasped him by the shoulder and forcefully spun him around. "Do you have any idea how long it takes to get sand out of the eyes?" Ganondorf asked.

"For a wielder of the Triforce of Power, I'd say minutes at most."

Shade then focused all of his energy into one little act. Ganondorf had his power spread over the entire barrier covering the Spirit Temple. Shade focused everything he had into one item. He pushed the Sword of Execution through the barrier and sent it to the Mirror Chamber.

"Cute," Ganondorf said, looking unimpressed, and somewhat annoyed. "I'm surprised you even survived our last encounter, as weak as I was." He then smiled. "I don't think that will happen again. I can't quite figure out what has allowed you to live as long as I have, but I doubt that will be an issue. The real question is, how much mercy should I show you.

"I could drag your death on for days, taking my time, going slow... but what's the point? I have better things to do. And how much pain would a skeleton feel any way? Yes, perhaps it's best that I just get this over with, and much as I've been looking forward to this moment for sometime.

"Just remember, Link, I'm letting you off easy." Before Hero's Shade could reply, Ganondorf brought his other hand to the Shade's head. In an instant, every bone in his body shattered into fragments smaller than dust.

Ganondorf stood for a moment, watching the remains of his former nemesis disperse into the air, mumbling to himself, "I'm going to regret doing that so quickly..."

* * *

**Ahh, sorry for taking so long with this. It seems like I apologize every chapter for taking so long. It just too so long to figure out how I wanted things to happen here. At one point I actually gave up for a while, and this chapter kinda ran away with itself (Mario made an appearance, Zelda got raped, There was a music performance by Fleetwood Mac, there was a Tijuana Donkey Show in there somewhere...yeah). I decided not to publish that version of the chapter. **

**But hey, It gave me time to rethink some important stuff, so maybe some good will come out of this long delay yet.**


	16. Midna

**_A/N: I should clear something up about my timeline: I am not trying to be as canonically accurate as possible. I am only trying to incorporate as much of these older legends as I can to give something of a historical depth to my fic. The only LoZ games I've ever actually played through are OoT, MM, and TP. I've already given entire chapters to exposition and incorporation of the older games, and I actually think that made my story drag a little. That's why WW was less thoroughly explained as the others_****.**

* * *

The clatter of the Sword of Execution on the on the paving stone was painful. Not because of how loud it was, but because of what it meant. The Hero of Time had spent his last effort making sure that one of the two items required for defeating Ganondorf was delivered to the forces of Light.

The Sages turned to look at Link, and said in that eery unified voice, "Explain to us what has come to pass."

Link recounted the events of the Spirit Temple, from the way the entrance was seemingly set up for someone else to arrive, Ganondorf's taunts, Shade's insistence that Link ignore Ganondorf, to Ganondorf's spill of information.

Minutes ago, when Link had arrived back at the Mirror Chamber he was enrages at how everyone had kept information about the boundaries of the Worlds from him. The arrival of the Sword of Execution, and its sobering significance, pacified him. Now that he found himself retelling the part of the story where Ganondorf revealed information that Link wanted, Link found his anger building again by the time he finished.

"You have let Ganondorf toy with your emotions," one particular Sage said, and seemingly in dissonance with the collective mentality of the other Sages. "Because of your weakness, you have ruined the best chance we have ever had to defeat this great evil."

"I already defeated him once," Link retorted. "Was it too much to hope for a little something for myself?"

The Sage ignored him and continued, "He was weak! Ganondorf knew you had a very real chance of killing him, so he manipulated you. And you were too immature to realize it, and now Link is dead!"

Link was shocked to see such a direct and personal attack by a Sage, but what came next was even more unpredictable. This particular Sage, which so happened to be the Sage of Forest, dropped into her mortal form, and in a display of emotional grief, tried to shove the fully grown Link as hard as she could.

The other Sages called, "Saria, restrain yourself."

The girl turned to them and said, "He doesn't deserve to be called a hero, when he sacrifices souls greater than his own for his own desires." Then she disappeared, retreated to the solace of isolation in her temple in an ancient forest.

Link and the remaining four Sages stood in an uncomfortable silence for some time before Link finally spoke. "I am guessing you all hold me accountable for what happened too."

"We do," they responded.

"Then to hell with you as well," Link said. He wanted to get away for a while too, and to brood over everything that had just happened." Link decided to go to the most reclusive he knew, a place that only he and the Shade had ever been and where he was taught to use the Triforce, the Hero's Sanctuary.

Link, becoming familiar with the use of magic now, quickly felt out his destination, and disappeared from the Mirror Chamber. However, in transit, Link felt an odd tug, or something like a breeze. When he rematerialized, he found himself not in a sea of clouds, but face to face with Lanayrou, the Light Spirit of Lake Hylia.

Link suspected that the Spirit had redirected his jump to the Sanctuary, and haughtily asked, "And I suppose you want to tell me how I have failed too?"

"Hero of Light," replied the spirit, passively, "I have brought you here not to rebuke you for your actions. I had, in fact, foreseen this turn of events as possible. Unfortunately, my bretheren did not share my concern.

"Your emotions were not discernible to Ganondorf alone. After a thousand years of manipulating and guessing people, he has developed a skill for it. This is not to say he is the only one to understand the significance of the departure of the Twilight Princess for you.

"Unlike the Sages or my brethren Spirits, I witnessed Zant's ambush on the Princess and you. In those minutes, the true extent of your emotions for each other was revealed. Even Zant noticed it, and thus decided to kill Midna through such methods as he did.

"It was my decision that Midna was to not pass on into the next life, but to be returned to the Light World. For your services to both worlds, bending the laws of death seemed like a more than fair reward. For both of you. But alas, she had plans of her own."

"I'm glad to hear that someone dosen't detest me for what happened," Link said. "Being physically assaulted by a Sage is slightly unnerving in a weird way."

"You will have to forgive the Sage of Forest her transgression," Lanayrou said. "Remember that all the Sages are, at their core, mortal beings. After living as long as they have, the have become distant to the world, distant from life, in a way. Everything they have ever known is dead and gone. But for the Sage of Forest. The Hero of Time was her friend for his whole life, and most of her's. I imagine this would be hard news for her.

"Furthermore, you have been more effective in deterring the Great Evil from sweeping through this land than any of us could have. What right does anyone have to be angered with you, when they have done less?

"I just though Ganondorf was pretty much defeated when I left. It's not like I intended for the Hero of Time to have to face him alone."

"That was no doubt Ganondorf's plan. To confuse you, to convoluted your judgement and get you out of the way."

"So, is what Ganondorf said, about the magic barriers of the world, and how the Triforce can pass through one, and the Fused Shadow the other, true?"

"Yes and no. But you must remember, Link. The Twilight Princess made a clear effort to leave this world behind. Are you sure you want to violate this wish of hers?"

"I just... I just need to know why. I can't explain it, but there's something she was hiding. She didn't want to leave, but felt she had to."

"In that case, I will do what I can to help, which is in fact not much. Ganondorf said the Fused Shadows would be your key into the Twilight Realm. For that to work, all the pieces, even the fragment broken by him, would need to be assembled. Furthermore, the souls that once inhabited the mask, giving it the power it had, have been driven out of it. It would take much time to return the mask to the power it had. But there is another way. Do you still process the crystal Zant had imbued with shadow magic?"

"I do. But according to Midna, that was not the same magic as her tribe. I figured it was Triforce magic."

"It is both. Magics are complicated things. It would take your entire lifetime to understand how the Shadow Crystal works, but suffice it to say that it is Twili magic, backed by something more powerful, the Triforce. But because of the envelope of shadow magic, it would be able to pass through the boundary of the World of Twilight"

* * *

"Well, I guess this is farewell, huh? Light and shadow can't mix as we all know."

There was something wrong in her voice, Zelda noticed. Midna withheld the truth, and flat out lied, numerous times. But this time something was different.

Link hadn't noticed anything.

"But... Never forget that there's another world bound to this one."

Never forget? Zelda thought to herself. Why would we forget...unless... Zelda had an unpleasant realization. She had to make Midna realize what she was doing. She said, almost pleadingly, "Shadow and light are but two sides of the same coin. One can not exist without the other. I know now why the Goddesses left the Mirror of Twilight in this world. They left it because it was their design that we should meet." Zelda then looked up and Midna, resolutely, "Yes, that is what I believe."

To Zelda's surprise and relief, Midna remained silent for a moment, contemplating. The she lifted her head and replied, "Zelda... Your words are kind, and your heart is true." Then she glanced at Link, addressing him too, "If all in Hyrule are like you, then maybe you'll do alright."

There was a lack of commitment in her eyes, and a more than a hint of sadness in her voice at that point. Link too was now suspicious of Midna's intentions.

Midna took a few steps back, summoning the translucent, runic stairs. "Thank you," she said. "Well, the Princess spoke truely: as long as the mirror's around, we could meet again..."

As she said that, she was looking at Link. He gave a slight smile, feeling reassured. But upon seeing this smile, Midna dropped her head, and shed a single tear. "Link..."

The tear made its way halfway down her cheek, then departed. "I..." With a gesture, Midna redirected it towards the Mirror of Twilight. "See you later." The tear made contact with the Mirror, resulting in a sound that surprised both Zelda and Link, causing them to turn and inspect it.

The luster of the mirror has rapidly diminishing, a sign of the fact that the magic it housed was quickly waning. Then it cracked; not just one crack, but numerous, hair thin fractures across the surface, interweaving like spider-webs.

Both Link and Zelda were speechless and shocked. By the time they turned around, Midna was already standing atop the shimmering stairs , watching them with a sad, sorrowful smile. She had made up her mind, and it was too late.

She knew in her heart that it was the only way. Her world needed her now, needed to be rebuilt. But the mirror needed to be destroyed, to protect the Sacred Beast. It was a cruel way to end things, but less cruel than she though any other option would ultimately prove to be.

She could see the look of betrayal on Link's face, and it hurt her. She wanted to look away, but forced herself not to. She wanted to spend her last moment in the Light World, looking at Link, doing her best to smile at him.

And in a flash of light from the Mirror, she was gone.

Even though she got through the portal the second before it happened, she still imagined she could hear the Mirror shatter. She could imagine Link, standing there, transfixed. She turned around to face her end of the portal, raised a hand to the now-vanished symbols that once etched the sky, and repeated, pathetically, "See you later."

Her arrival had not gone unnoticed. She soon found herself amongst a dozen of her kin, who were all asking questions. She gave an impromptu speech to placate them for a while.

"Dear Twili," she said, before catching her self still speaking the language of the Light World. She started again in their own language so they could understand.

"Dear Twili, the Usurper King, the ruthless tyrant who has oppressed us for some time, had been defeated. Furthermore, the powerful sorcerer, from whom Zant received his power, has also been destroyed. At last, we can start to rebuild our world.

"I'm sure many of you have wondered where I have been since Zant came into power. I shall answer you in short now, and deliver a fuller account at a latter time. When he first sought the throne, I resisted him, and denied him his claim. With his newly granted power, he transformed me and cursed me, and banished me to the Light World from whence our tribe came.

"But it was a spiteful banishment." Midna was about to say that she only existed there as a shadow, but then remembered that in the Twilight World, there is no such concept as shadows. "I only faintly existed, unable to interact with anything in their world. I was but a phantom. Being invisible as I was, I was able to pick up their language as I waited for my opportunity.

"Eventually came my salvation. In the Light World, they measure the passage of time in something called 'years'." Midna was unsure about how to accurately talk about the timing of everything that happened. There was no accurate way to convey such information in Twili. The Light World derives its measures from seasons and solar cycles. The Twilight World has no such phenomenon. Just perpetual twilight.

"The entire time Zant was on the throne here and I was banished to the Light World is about two Light World years. Just less than a year ago, Zant decided to extend his rule, and invaded the Light World. Because his invasion bought the twilight into the World of Light, I was able to take form again. I found an ally in a dweller of the Light World; I met the Sacred Beast that our legends speak of.

"Together, we collected the Fused Shadows and rebuilt the Mirror of Twilight; we fought back the twilight in his world, and Zant in ours. And finally, we confronted the sorcerer who was behind everything from the start, a Light Dweller named Ganondorf.

"Even armed with the full power of the Fused Shadows, I was unable to conquer the sorcerer. In fact, he almost killed me. In my absence, the Sacred Beast was able to subdue and eventually execute Ganondorf."

"I hope everyone can be content with what I have just told you. I will give a more thorough address of what had transpired eventually, but for the time being, I am certain there are other issues at hand that demand my attention."

Midna worked her way through the crowd to the Palace of Twilight. Even though there were indeed issues for her to attend to, the first thing she did was return to her private quarters within the Palace.

During her and Link's excursion through the Twilight, they found that her quarters had, surprisingly, remained fairly intact. Naturally it had been thoroughly searched and everything thrown about, as if Zant was looking for some sort of powerful magical artifact immediately after banishing her, but as far as she could tell, nothing was missing.

Again, the state of her room upon returning to in caused her some surprise. It had been cleaned, organized, straightened up. Midna walked over to her bed and ran her hand down the blankets, feeling the first semblance of relief since she returned to the Twilight not so long ago. Finally, she sat down on it.

"We cleaned up in here, hoping you'd return," came a voice from the doorway. Midna looked up to see a familiar face. A middle-aged twili stood in the doorway, smiling at her.

"Forvalt, it's good to see you again," Midna said.

"Well, we'll see how good it truely is once we talk. I'm afraid I have plenty of bad news to give you about the state of things," he said. "But you look like you could use some rest. We can talk later."

"Just tell me one thing," said Midna. "How's my father?"

Forvalt dropped his gaze, saying, "He passed. Not much longer after you left."

Weakly, Midna asked, "Did Zant..."

"No, no, nothing like that," He assured her. "In the beginning, Zant wasn't so cruel to do something like that to your father. Zant removed him from the throne, but you know how sick he was already. Your father passed naturally."

"I think take that rest now," Midna said, softly. Forvalt bowed and left, shutting the door behind him.

Even though Midna knew that, with time, it would have only gotten harder to bring herself to destroy the Mirror, she found herself wishing she had waited a little longer. She could have used Link and Zelda's support about now.

She got up from her bed and walked toward her balcony, which overlooked most of the lands of the Twilight. She stared at where the portal used to be, not knowing that on the other side, Link was still staring at the Void Stone. She gave up at about the same time he did, and went to sleep.

* * *

Things were hectic in the Twilight realm once Midna returned. Zant had run everything afoul. It all started the next day, when Midna decided to call a council meeting to get informed on everything that had happened in her absence.

The first council member she found was Forvalt. "Forvalt, where is everyone? I'm trying to find the councilmen to hold a meeting."

"I'm the last one," he said. "The rest of us... After we found out what happened to you, we tried to oppose Zant. He left me alive as a message to anyone else who might oppose. The others... I've never seen such a terrible use of magic..." Forvalt was reluctant to continue, instead only shaking his head slightly.

"I need to know," Midna said. "What happened to them?"

"Transformed," he finally said. "They became terrible beasts. Their faces were as large slabs of stone. They were strong, and large. And if you did manage to kill one, another would just shriek and call it back to life."

Midna took a step back in shock. "Those were the council members?"

Forvalt looked up. "Did you see them?"

She replied, "We killed them. All of them. I killed the council..."

He stepped towards her, and put a hand on her soulder to try to comfort her, saying, "They were already gone. If anything, you ended their misery."

"Perhaps, but there might have been something that could have been done. I guess we'll never know."

"Your Highness, this is nothing you should hold yourself to blame for. Please, take your mind of it. What about this council meeting you wanted to have?"

Soon enough, Forvalt was filling Midna in on everything that had happened in the Twilight Realm since her exile. In general, things were about as bad as Midna had guessed earlier. Some of the floating platforms that acted as bridges had been destroyed. Casualties were high, and since,being a tribe of only a few hundred and every twili having a role to play in the society, the casualties left a gap in the infrastructure. A few of the isles that make up the land of the Twilight had been destroyed too. Completely eradicated.

Much of Midna's time in the first few weeks was spent delegating responsibilities. A few new councilmen were chosen, and local magistrates were also designated to help assess specific areas of the Twilight.

Censuses were taken of the remaining isles, and people were relocated and shuffled around so everyone had a place to live again, and that craftsmen of different trades were evenly dispersed through the populace.

In the meantime, Midna had been working herself sick. She had not been eating well, and had not been sleeping some nights. Despite Forvalt's responsibility of training the new councilmen, as he was now the head councilman, he still noticed Midna's overexertion.

There came a point after a joint meeting between Midna and the council that Forvalt's concern for her was strong enough to convince her to take some time off. Naturally, Midna resisted, but because of how weary she was, ultimately Forvalt won.

"Forvalt, can I trust you?" Midna asked.

"Have I ever lead you astray? What's on your mind?"

Midna hesitated. "I loosing it. I don't know how long I can live like this."

"Like what?"

"You can't really understand without having been in the World of Light... It is entirely unlike the Twilight."

"How so?" Forvalt asked. He had been curious about the World of Light, but had decided not to pester Midna about it.

"In every way imaginable. The have this large thing that they call the sun, kind of like a sol, that moves through the sky at regular intervals. But it's much different... When the light from it hits you, it warms you, and everything else it touches. And it's larger, and so far away. There's also this other thing, what they call the Moon, that is more like the sols. It casts another colour of light, but isn't as warm, then there are these innumerable tiny dots in the sky, called stars, and are all the colour of the moon.

"Then there is... I don't even know how to describe them. Plants, Forvalt. Big, small, and everywhere. They stick out of the ground, and... Oh, and the ground. It's everywhere..."

Midna went on for sometime, describing everything about the light world in vivid detail. This gave way to her recalling much of her adventure with Link. Forvalt listened eagerly, asking questions occasionally, but Midna dominated the conversation.

Finally, she reached the conclusion. "And now here I am. And instead of my memories fading with time and settling back into my life here, I'm growing increasingly discontented. Our ancestors weren't banned to protect the Light World. The were banned as a punishment. Every moment I spend here, this realization becomes stronger and stronger: This world is a prison."

"So then, why did you break the Mirror of Twilight?"

"You should know out legends as well as I do. You remember how the Lay of the Sacred Beast ends?"

"...Yeah. Are you really that confident that this Link is that Sacred Beast?"

"I'm confident enough to sever the links between the worlds. Confident enough to do everything in my power to keep that from happening to him."

"So why didn't you stay in the Light World?"

"How could I? The Twilight was in pieces. I don't mean to sound arrogant or anything, but do you think that you would have been able to rebuild this kingdom without me?"

"No. I didn't even have the slightest idea of what to do until you showed up."

"So there you have it. It was a lose-lose situation. I just went with the option that would do more good for other people, and hurt me the most. Now I've done all the good I can do."

There was a knock at the door. Forvalt went to see who it was. One of the newer councilmen was summoning him to an emergency meeting. "Midna, please stay here. I'll be back as soon as I can so we can talk more."

Midna said nothing, and Forvalt left.

Forvalt was anxious for the entire meeting. He was genuinely concerned about Midna. The meeting itself proved to be an unproductive waste of time. A dispute on jurisdiction had arisen between two of the junior councilmen. Finally, the meeting adjured, and Forvalt went to check see Midna.

When he got back to her chambers and knocked, no one answered. He knocked again, and still nothing. Despite the glaring breach of etiquette, his concern made him open the door anyway.

Written on the floor were ancient runic symbols, the precursor to the modern Twili language. But it wasn't their glow that concerned Forvalt. It was that in the middle of the spiralling pattern was Midna, laying still.

"Midna!" he called, no response. He stooped next to her, and the glow of the runes faded. He shook her gentle by the shoulder, again calling, "Midna!"

Finally she woke.

Forvalt was relieved, but only for a moment. "You had me worried. What is going on here, Midna?" he asked, indicating the diagrammatic runes written into the floor.

She looked puzzled, completely and innocently confused. She looked around her quarters, still totally perplexed, then back at Forvalt. Finally, she asked, "Who are you? And why do you keep calling me that?"

* * *

He had been wandering through the field all day. It seemed to be autumn, the way the grass was just staring to turn brown. But as he walked, he found he was not the only one there. Atop a small crest in the horizon, a figure was waving to him. He made his way over, not expecting what he found when he got there.

"Princess?" he excitedly asked. "What are you doing here? How long has it been, a thousand years?"

She laughed. "For being the Hero of Time, you certainly have a bad sense of it. It has been twelve hundred and forty seven years since we last saw each other."

"After the first fifty, you sort of loose track. Well, anyone who wasn't a bearer of the Wisdom fragment would lose track. So why are you here? Where is here, exactly?"

"This is... it's hard to explain. This is the place between life and death, where lost souls who decide to linger and watch the world remain. I'm here because the Goddesses though I may be instrumental in defeating Ganondorf one day, or protecting Hyrule, so they wouldn't let me pass on. You're here because your life is bound to his. You can't break that bond by letting him kill you, apparently."

"So we're going back then?"

"In due time. Ganondorf thinks we're dead. He's been found out, so he must know it's only a matter of time before Link matures enough to not be susceptible to his taunts, and leads the forces of Light against him. So Ganondorf will plan, and will do so with haste. His scheme will lack the intricacy many of his former ones had. Furthermore, he thinks both of us are dead and gone. Let him think that. The less accurate his assumptions when he invades Hyrule, the better of a chance we will have against him.


End file.
